Persona: Ultraviolet
by Ice Krystal
Summary: A mysterious cult is brainwashing the youth of Osaka, seeking out the return of the Night Queen. Arisu Amano finds herself dragged into the world of Persona and Shadow, and only she and her friends can find out the truth. The world is once again being altered, and they are chosen to face the darkness their predecessors once conquered. But not all is what it seems. P3/P4 Universe.
1. I: Enter the Fool

**PERSONA: ULTRAVIOLET**

**Chapter I: Enter the Fool**

* * *

_Darkness…_

_Light…_

_Both coexist, one stronger than the other…_

_Years ago darkness was overwhelming, nearly dimming the light forever, only saved by a group of humans who refused to give up hope…_

_These humans managed to banish the darkness permanently, even at the cost of a life._

_But a select few were not happy with the turn of events and seek to bring the darkness back…_

_They wish to break the Great Seal, having been given profound power from the Night Queen…_

_With humans' hearts hardening, the Shadows are gaining strength… Erebus calls out to the Mother of Shadows, the Night Queen… The world is once again being altered…_

_Time flows on…_

* * *

_Sunday, April 10th, 2022, Waxing Gibbous Moon_

"_We will arrive at Osaka shortly,"_ the conductor's voice announced over the intercom.

I nearly sighed with relief. I had been taking train after train to get to the small, rural town of Osaka, for about two days now. Osaka was small, but very sophisticated. My parents, fed up with me after some trouble I had gotten into, had decided to send me away to go to a private girls only school. This town would be the total opposite of what I was used to, coming from Iwatodai. But, I was actually glad to get away from everyone back at Gekkoukan.

I would be attending Kana Academy, a Catholic school with an elementary, middle, and high school divisions, only for girls. I would be staying in a dorm here for the final two years of high school. It would be a fresh, new start for me… which was something I badly needed.

Though, in a way, I guess you could say I was trying to escape my past. But considering what I had done those years, you would want to get away from it too. It was nothing to be proud of. I hated thinking about it, and would avoid it at all costs. I didn't want anyone to think lowly of me.

Finally, the monorail pulled to a stop. I stood up, removed my duffle bag from the compartment above me, and prepared to get off. Minutes later, I was walking through the station, examining the map on my admissions pamphlet that showed me how to get to my dormitory. I moved at a swift walk, eager to get some rest after so much traveling; it had drained me more than I thought it would.

The station was small, which wasn't surprising. It was nothing like Tatsumi Port Island Station, where I would catch the monorail to head to Gekkoukan, or watch movies with my friends at Screen Shot. It was nothing fancy—just the monorails and an old, probably family run, movie theater. It was probably cheap inside.

I saw something bright blue flash out of the corner of my eye. I slowed my pace, and looked towards where it had come from. I paused when I saw a blue butterfly fluttering through the station. It flew by me elegantly. I stared at it, not expecting to see an insect like it here. I smiled to myself, and then set off again.

It was actually pretty nice just walking through the town. It was a beautiful day in spring—not too hot, and not too cold. It was just right. People were walking along the sidewalk. Cars were driving down the shop lined streets. I could get used to this place.

The dorm ended up being in a rather nice part of town. It was a four story building made of red brick, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. I adjusted my duffle bag on my shoulder, and then headed up the steps. The front door was unlocked, so I pulled it open, and stepped inside the cool building.

The lounge was more fashionable than I thought it would be for a town like this. The carpet was snow white and black leather couches surrounded a clear glass coffee table. The walls were painted silvery gray. Sitting on one of the couches, doing what appeared to be homework, was a girl probably around my age. She looked up as the door clicked shut.

"Oh, you must be the new transfer student!" she exclaimed, her voice slightly deeper than one would expect.

"Um, yeah," I said, not sure what else to say.

The girl stood up, revealing the fact that she was extremely tall, nearly six foot. She had short, auburn hair pulled up into a short, messy ponytail, with bangs that went down along her jaw, and swept across her forehead. Her eyes were brown. She was wearing a red track suit and white t-shirt.

"I'm Kameko Matsuda," she said once she reached me, holding her hand out to me.

I took it and we exchanged a firm handshake. "I'm Arisu Amano," I told her.

"You're a second year, right?" she asked me, and I nodded. "Sweet, I am too!"

Wow, really? She looked way older than that. "You look like a senior, though…"

She let out a strained laugh. "I'm not. It's just because I'm so tall." She sighed, and looked back to where there was a stairway. "You must be tired, right? And you need to unpack. I'll show you to your room."

I followed her up the stairs to the second floor. The hall had the same carpet and silver walls as the lounge. However, the doors were black. I followed her to the last door on the right side of the hall. She gestured to the door.

"This is your room," she told me. "If you need anything, I'll be down in the lounge. Oh, and there's one other girl in this dorm—Mizuki Yukimura, another second year. She's usually in her room or out somewhere. She… doesn't talk to me much. Actually, she doesn't talk much at all. So it'll be like it's just the two of us."

"All right, thanks, Matsuda-san," I said, turning to my door.

"Oh, just call me Kameko!" she said with a laugh. "You don't have to be all formal with me, okay?"

I gave her a friendly smile. "All right, thanks. I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to crash early after I'm done unpacking."

"Gotcha," she said, turning to go. "Get as much sleep as you can! Mornings are brutal. Night!"

She walked down the hall, and I pulled my room's door open, and stepped inside. It already had a bed and curtains, along with a desk and stand for a television. It took me a couple hours, but I managed to make my bed, put away my clothes, set up my laptop, and organize my desk. After that, I changed into my pajamas and flopped down into my bed. It didn't take me long to fall asleep.

* * *

_Monday, April 11th, 2022, Waxing Gibbous Moon_

I made the last final adjustments to my uniform, making sure it fit fine. It was much different from the uniform at Gekkoukan, being a sailor fuku. It consisted of a black neckerchief, red bow, white shirt, and black skirt that went down to a little above the knees. I had white, knee high socks on, and black loafers. I kept my dark brown hair down as usual; it went down to the small of my back, with bangs that covered my left eye, going all the way down to my chin, curving in a little. I'm of average height, and my eyes are blue. Also, I have a white crystal stud I wear on my nose, right above my left nostril.

There was loud knocking on my door. "Hey, it's me! Can I come in?"

"Yeah, hang on!" I grabbed my bag off my bed, and headed for the door.

I opened it up, revealing Kameko, who was also in uniform. She had her red sweatshirt on over her shirt, and red sneakers with white socks that ended right before her knees. Her hair was up the same way as it was yesterday. She held a white basketball with some sort of signature on it under her arm.

"Hey, we should go to school together," she told me. "Since it's your first day today and all."

"Okay, that sounds good," I said. "Let's go!"

"That's the spirit!" she exclaimed with a wide grin. "C'mon, Arisu!"

We headed down the hall, and then down the stairs. In the lounge, also preparing to head out for the day, was another girl. She was slightly shorter than me, and much more slender, with a lighter build. She had wavy pale blonde hair, with the front strands braided back around her head. She looked over at us, with cold, pale blue eyes. Her gaze seemed critical as she looked at me. Kameko and I stopped in front of her. Her uniform was nearly identical to mine, except for the knee high black boots she wore. I noticed a silver medallion in the shape of a crescent moon hung around her neck.

"You're the new transfer student," she stated, her voice high and resonant.

"Yeah," I said calmly. "I'm Arisu Amano."

"My name is Mizuki Yukimura," she told me. "Welcome to Osaka."

So this was Yukimura, huh? She really had this cold, yet confident aura about her. I honestly found her much more intimidating than Kameko.

"It's nice to meet you, Yukimura-san," I said.

Unlike Kameko, she didn't ask me to be informal. Instead, she just nodded, and headed out the door, leaving us behind. Kameko and I stood in silence for a couple moments.

"…See what I mean?" she asked me. "She's even like that when her brother visits."

"Brother?"

"Yeah, she has a twin. His name is Haruto and he goes to the guys' school. He's… something else, that's for sure." Her face scrunched up with distaste for a moment. "Anyways, enough about that! We gotta hurry or we'll be late! Sister Mai will have our hide if we're late!"

I hastily followed Kameko out of the dorm, and then down the sidewalk. Once we were farther away, she slowed down, relaxing a bit. Then we were walking calmly, in silence. It took me a moment to muster up the courage to ask her a question.

"Kameko… Why the basketball?"

She started for a moment, and then looked down at the ball under her arm. "Oh, this? Well, it's my lucky basketball! I'm on the basketball team at Kana. I prefer to play with this ball during practice."

"Oh," I said. "I see. Well, I bet you're great at it!"

She laughed. "I do have an advantage, I guess. But I just love playing it. It's the only thing I'm really good at, y'know?" She paused, and looked down at me. "You must have something you just love to do and you're awesome at, too, right?"

"Well, there was one thing I used to do when I was little and I loved it," I said, my tone softening. "When my mom's parents were alive, we would take trips out to the country to see them. They owned a stable, with horses and everything. They would take me out on this old white pony named Yuki… I really loved it. But my grandpa developed cancer and they had to sell everything to afford the therapy he needed… But he died anyway… And then she joined him shortly after…" I felt tears pricking in my eyes until I realized what I had just been saying. "Oh, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. "I shouldn't have dumped that all on you! Especially since we just met and all… You're just easy to talk to."

"It's fine, really!" she said reassuringly. "Heh, nobody's ever told me that before…" She grinned down at me. "I think we can become really good friends… T-That is, if it's okay with you!"

I laughed, my lips turning up into a smile. "Of course it's okay with me! I mean, we're dorm mates, even if we don't end up in the same homeroom, we'll still see each other a lot! And, well, it would be nice to have a friend so soon after I moved here."

And really, it was reassuring, too. Even though I wanted a fresh start, it was hard transferring. I had never moved before. I had grown up on Tatsumi Port Island all my life. I felt a lot better knowing I had someone to talk to and hang out with. I wouldn't feel as alone in the beginning.

"Great!" she exclaimed, which I took that she did a lot. "Well, we're almost to Kana! We should hurry."

We picked up our pace, slowing down once more as we reached the gate. It was an elaborate black iron gate that looked really expensive. A stone wall covered in green ivy surrounded the school building. As we entered the campus, I got a better look at it. It looked more like a stone mansion than a school. Green ivy crept up along the walls, too. There were many windows. I followed Kameko to the entrance, and then we went inside.

"Welcome to Kana Academy!" she declared, grinning down at me once more. "You're gonna love it here!" She paused right in front of the shoe boxes; the school looked pretty normal inside—linoleum floors, white walls, bulletin boards, posters. "You should go to the faculty office, which is right next to the main office, down that hall." She pointed in the direction I should head. "Your teacher should be in there waiting for you." She looked down at me again. "Well, I have to drop my team things off in the locker room. If we're not in the same class, I'll see you at lunch!"

"All right," I said. "See you, Kameko!"

"See ya!" she called before heading off.

I walked in the direction she had pointed to. Barely had I headed down the seemingly vacant and oddly dim hall when I heard someone call to me in a clear voice.

"There you are! I've been looking for you!"

I stopped right where I was. A girl stepped out of the darkness ahead of me. She was slightly taller than me, with straight, jet black hair that went down to the small of her back. Her bangs were cut straight and even across her forehead. Her eyes were startlingly deep violet. Her uniform was unchanged, except for the fact that her shirt was black, not white, as were her knee high socks. She was holding a paper and pen in here hands. Something about her set me at unease, like something inside me was reacting to her…

"Um, you were?" I asked, confused. Maybe the teacher sent her to get me instead…?

"I need you to sign this." She stopped in front of me, and held out the paper and pen.

I hesitated for a moment, and then took the items from her. I examined the paper. It seemed to be a contract of some sort. I pursed my lips, skimming over everything until I found where I needed to sign. In big, bold letters above the line, I read:

_**I CHOOSETH THIS FATE OF MINE OWN FREE WILL.**_

…What?

What was that supposed to mean…?

Well, I had to sign it, didn't I? I clicked open the pen, and fluently signed my name on the line in black ink. I clicked the pen shut, and then handed both items to the strange girl. She looked at my name.

"I see… So you are Arisu Amano…"

"Yes."

Her dark lips pressed into a thin smile. "I trust you to honor your commitment."

"…Of course," I said, though I still had no idea what it even meant.

"Good," she said, sounding pleased. "Now I must go. We will meet again, Arisu Amano…"

And with that, she turned around, and disappeared into the darkness. Seconds later, the lights flickered fully on, illuminating the hall. And then girl was nowhere to be seen.

All right, what the hell was going on here?!

Just then, the door to my left opened up, making me jump in surprise, and a nun stepped out. She was holding a file folder. She seemed startled to see me as much as I was startled to see her.

"Arisu Amano?" she asked me.

"…Y-Yes, that's me," I managed to get out.

"I am Sister Mitsuko, your homeroom teacher," she told me in a warm, gentle voice. "I teach English. We're in class 2-A. …Are you all right?"

"…I… I just saw... I just signed…" I couldn't bring myself to say it. "N-Nevermind… I'm fine, really."

"…All right," she said, not convinced, but she didn't push it. "Follow me, Arisu-san."

Sister Mitsuko led me back down the hall from where I came from. I followed her across the lobby as the bell began to ring, and the lingering students rushed to their classrooms. The Sister's dress billowed as she walked swiftly, chiding the scattering girls about being tardy. I followed her up the stairs to the second floor, and finally to the classroom labeled 2-A. She opened the door, holding it out for me, and I stepped inside, with her right behind me.

The class was bustling with activity as the girls hastily returned to their seats as Sister Mitsuko walked to the front of the room, me lingering behind her at the door. She beckoned me forward, and I walked over to stand beside her. I looked out to the class, scanning my eyes over my new classmates. And I was startled to see both Kameko and the strange girl from before. Kameko cracked a grin at me, and I did my best to relax and put a friendly smile on my face, relieved to see her but still uneasy because of the peculiar girl.

"Girls, today we have a new transfer student," Sister Mitsuko announced once everyone had settled down in their seats. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"U-Uh… Sure…" I took a deep breath to calm myself. I could do this. "My name is Arisu Amano. I transferred here from Gekkoukan High School on Tatsumi Port Island. Um… It's nice to meet you all… and I hope we can have a great school year together…!"

The girls erupted into whispers, while Kameko didn't budge and continued to grin at me. I noticed no one talked to her. That was weird.

"Sister, there's an open seat right next to me!" Kameko announced, pointing to the open desk that was, indeed, next to her.

Sister Mitsuko chuckled. "All right, Arisu-san, you may go sit in that desk next to Kameko-san."

I felt everyone's eyes on me as I walked down the aisle, and set my bag down before lowering myself down into my new seat. I spread out my skirt as I sat. Even though I had my first friend here with me, I felt incredibly nervous. Was it because that freaky girl from before was here…?

"All right, class, I'll give you ten minutes of free time before I begin the lesson!" Sister Mitsuko announced. "I have something to attend to, so behave while I'm out."

The nun walked to the door, and then left. As soon as she was gone, the class erupted into talking, and Kameko turned in her seat to face me.

"Heh, who knew we'd end up in the same class!" she exclaimed, grinning once more.

"Um, yeah," I agreed, forcing a smile. "I'm glad."

Her grin turned into a frown. "Something bothering you?"

Well, maybe I could ask her…

"Um… Who… Who's that girl over there…?" I pointed to the strange girl from before, who was sitting by herself, writing or doodling something in a notebook.

Kameko tensed for a moment when she saw who I was pointing to, and then relaxed. "Oh, that's Amaya Mochizuki. She's… really weird. Just… stay away from her and her friends, okay?"

I blinked, frowning myself. "What's wrong with her…?"

Kameko looked really uncomfortable with what I was asking. "I'll… tell you later, okay? It's not something I should be talking about here… But just avoid her and any girl that wears a black uniform, okay? They're… dangerous."

"Dangerous?" I raised an eyebrow.

She sighed. "Look, I'll explain everything later. I don't want anybody eavesdropping and then telling THEM what I was saying…"

"'Them'?" I echoed.

She sighed again and tucked her side bangs behind her ear. "Later. Just… trust me, okay?"

"…All right."

Lunch came rather quickly, and I was relieved to get a break. I was a little behind here, but there was nothing I could do about that. I'd catch up eventually. Kameko invited me to eat lunch with her. I was surprised that she didn't have any friends to sit with. It was just the two of us sitting at a table in the courtyard outside. It was peaceful, with birds chirping.

The silence between us, however, was awkward.

I ate the lunch I packed quietly while Kameko seemed to be mustering up the courage to say something. Or whatever she was going to do. She didn't seem to be very hungry. I glanced over at her lunch, and pointed to the bento with a chopstick.

"You gonna eat that?"

"Huh?" she started, surprised. "Oh, uh, you can have it. I'm… not very hungry."

"…Okay," I said before reaching over to take one shaped like a lion—my favorite animal—from her lunch. "Thanks." I took a bite, and it was absolutely delicious. "Wow, this is great! Did you make it?!"

She snapped out of her daze again. "N-No… Yukimura did. I… can't cook worth crap so she makes my lunches…"

I swallowed. "Oh… So she does do something."

"Ha ha, yeah…"

I sat quietly for a moment, frowning. "…What's wrong?"

She jumped yet again, before sighing heavily and leaning back in her chair. "…You know how I told you I'd tell you about Mochizuki and her followers?"

I nodded, lowering my chopsticks. "Yeah."

"Well…" Her eyes flickered down to the table to stare at her food. "It's… kinda… _personal_."

I set my chopsticks down across the top of my lunchbox. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"

"It's okay," she insisted. "I've… just never told anyone… and I think I need to get it off my chest."

"All right, I'm all ears."

Her hands clenched into fists for a moment, but then she opened them, trying to relax. "Last year we got another transfer student. Her name was… well, is… Minori Yanagi. She was placed in our dorm. She was the sweetest girl I'd ever met, and she wasn't scared of me like everyone else was. And still is. She was the first real friend I had in a long time."

I pursed my lips, wondering where this was going. Though hearing her stay the other students were scared of her made sense to why nearly everyone seemed to be avoiding her. I, personally, did not see what was so terrifying about the girl. So what she was tall and had thicker bones?

"For a week, everything was fine. We hung out; I showed her around Osaka, and she tried the basketball club for a day. But then Mochizuki and her friend Jun Fukushima started talking to her, asking her to join their freaky club. She refused at first, but they kept on pestering her about it. So she gave in and agreed to check it out during their Friday 'convert' day or whatever it is."

She scowled, and started to glare at her food. "She was scarce the whole weekend, and then on Monday it was like she was a totally different person. The club was her _life_. She moved out of the dorm to live in their one. I haven't talked to her since."

That was… really weird. I didn't know what to say to that.

"It happens to everyone who visits the club," she continued, directly looking at me. "It's like they're brainwashed or something. They all wear black uniforms instead of the standard white ones. They start getting all secretive and stuff. They start talking about the weirdest things, like _'the Fall'_ and someone called _'Mother Nyx'_ and some sort of salvation. It's more like a cult than a club. And nobody knows where they go to meet. I have no idea what they're doing, but whatever it is, it's not good. So… Be careful, okay? Once they set their sights on you, you're basically doomed… No one's been able to resist them."

I stayed quiet for a little longer. Everything she said sounded vaguely familiar to me for some reason… like I had seen or heard of something like it before. But I couldn't remember. But I had a feeling it was important. Something had happened... That was the feeling I got.

"I see… Thanks for telling me," I said, thinking for a moment. "Maybe we should look into it? I mean, what happened to Yanagi-san and the other girls isn't normal."

Her eyes grew wide with shock, and she jerked up straight. "Are you crazy?! Something could happen to us!"

"…Like what?" I asked dryly. "What could they do to us?"

"I… I don't know!" she snapped, slumping a little in her seat. "But… whenever I'm around them, I get this vibe that I'm in danger. It's like… something is stirring inside me, reacting to them…" She sighed heavily. "…I sound nuts, don't I?"

That… That happened to me, too. So it wasn't just that she was creepy, was it? Something most definitely was going on here at Kana Academy.

"Not at all," I reassured her. "But I can't sit back and let them brainwash more girls like this. It's not right. You can help me or not, Kameko."

She seemed to hesitate, but then she pressed her lips into a thin line, steeling herself. "I'm… I'm in. I can't let you do this alone… I mean, we're friends after all! Even if it scares me… I'll stick with you, Arisu."

I smiled up at her. "Thanks, Kameko! We can do this, I'm sure of it." I paused for a moment. "And, by the way… I felt the same thing you did."

Her eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yeah," I replied, nodding. "We'll have to figure out what it is, too."

She nodded too, a thoughtful expression on her face. "…I have practice today. But… I get out at five. We could go to Wuck and talk more about what we're going to do then. It's not safe to talk here."

"Wuck?" I gasped. "You mean, like, Wild Duck Burger?"

"…Yeah?"

"I love that place!" I exclaimed, my eyes brightening up. "I used to go there all the time with my friends, and my boy-" I cut myself off before I could finish the sentence. No, I couldn't mention any of them. It was painful and made me angry just thinking about what had happened, what I had done. "T-They have one at the Iwatodai Strip Mall… I think that's a great place to meet."

I was relieved that she didn't ask about what I had been about to say. "Heh, I like it too! I usually only go there with my club, though. Oh, if you don't want to go back to the dorm, you can stay in the gym and watch us. I don't think Coach will mind."

"All right, that's the plan!"

Before I went to wait in the gym for Kameko, I decided to get a drink from the vending machine. It took only a moment, but once I turned around to leave for the gym, I was stopped by the last people I wanted to see.

"Ah, Amano-san, there you are."

It was Mochizuki, but she wasn't alone. Two girls, the ones I had seen her talking to during lunch at their club's table, were with her.

The girl to her left was almost terrifying; she was not quite as tall as Kameko, but she was close. She had boy-short, messy light brown hair, and fierce, cold brown eyes. The only thing different about her uniform was that she had spats on underneath her skirt, and no socks under her black sneakers. She was built rather squarely, and could easily be mistaken as a boy. She had a rather serious expression on her face, her arms crossed over her chest.

The girl to her right was short, shorter than me by several inches; she was probably only five foot. She had long, deep red hair braided back, and bright blue eyes. Along with the black uniform, she had crimson socks that ended at her thighs, and black ballet flats. She was cuter than she was pretty.

"Oh, Mochizuki-san," I said, doing my best to hide my wariness of them and sound friendly. "Do you need something? I was just about to go to the gym to watch the basketball club."

"Wow, it's only your first day and you're already checking out clubs?!" the redhead exclaimed in a high, bubbly voice, surprised. "That's impressive!"

"Oh, not exactly," I replied, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I'm just waiting for Kameko to get out so she can show me around Osaka." That wasn't a total lie…

"Oh, Kame-chan…" The redhead's smiley face faltered for a moment. "Well, that's good…"

'Kame-chan'? Was this girl…?

"Amano-san, these are my friends Jun Fukushima and Minori Yanagi," Mochizuki continued after a moment. "I thought I should introduce you to them."

Yeah, I was right… Only a close friend would call Kameko something like that. Did they really get that close in such a short time…?

"It's nice to meet you," I said, trying to be friendly. "Fukushima-san and Yanagi-san."

"It's nice to meet you too, Amano-san!" Yanagi exclaimed cheerfully.

"…It's a pleasure," Fukushima said, her voice deeper and huskier than I expected.

"We just wanted you to know that you are welcome to visit our club anytime," Mochizuki told me. "We're always open to new members."

…Oh crap, that was not good. That was the last thing I wanted to hear.

"Um, well, I'm probably not going to join any clubs for a bit," I said, trying to come up with a way out. "But thanks, anyways!"

"We hope you will consider joining us," she said, smiling serenely. "Well, we have to get to our meeting. We meet every day expect for Saturday, and before tests. If you want to go, find one of us so we can take you there. We hope to see you soon, Amano-san."

And with that, the three of them left and I just stood there in silence, holding my bottle of Cielo Mist. This was really bad. It was only my first day here and they had already asked me to join them. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and then headed for the gymnasium.

* * *

The three girls entered the secret room in the school, the last to arrive for the meeting. It was a fairly large room, hidden beneath the auditorium. It had electric lights, but it was tradition to keep the room dark, lit only by candles.

Throughout the room were tables were bright, shining candles were lit in arranged formation, filling the vast room with their faint light. There was a main table pushed up against the far wall, with the largest, brightest candles. In front of the candles were ancient books, and artifacts—the mysterious weapons, guns, of the mysterious group that their leaders were trying to follow. Beneath the table, stored away in boxes, were more of the devices that looked like guns, waiting to be given to new members.

"Amaya-sama! Jun-san! Minori-san!" the club members nearest the entrance cried. "You're late!"

"I apologize, my sisters," Amaya said as she and her two comrades walked deeper in the room. "There was a matter we had to attend to. And there is something I need to discuss with my fellow Morrigan members before we proceed with today's meeting."

"Very well, Amaya-sama," they said, before shrinking back to make quiet small talk, giving their leaders space.

The trio known as the Morrigan halted in front of the table, Amaya in the front. She put her hands behind her back, and turned back around to face her friends.

"Well, Minori-chan, did you sense anything?" she asked the redheaded girl.

"Yes!" she cried. "Amano-san… She is filled with such intense power… I've never sensed anything like it before…"

"Is she the One?" Jun asked, serious as always.

"I… I don't know," Minori confessed, her blue eyes flickering down to stare at her feet. "Her power… Somehow, it's different from ours…"

"Different?" Amaya asked, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Circe told me that her power is called Persona," the smaller girl answered. "Our power isn't called Persona. It's called Shadow."

"The power of Persona," Jun said, frowning. "Huh."

"Persona… I believe that is what our predecessors were gifted with," Amaya said, speculating out loud. "They are born with or without the potential… But some were forced to create the potential artificially… While, with us… We are chosen by Mother Nyx and gifted with it after we have our Encounter and have proven ourselves loyal to her."

"You were the first who Mother Nyx chose, right?" Minori asked, and she nodded. "But I wonder what makes the power of Persona different from the power of Shadow…"

"Even if her power is unlike our own, she still may be the One," Jun said.

"Yes," Amaya agreed. "And especially since her power is different from our own, it is imperative that we get her to join us. I would hate to have her as an enemy."

"Yeah, I agree," Minori said with a nod. "But, one more thing, Amaya-chan."

"What is it, Minori-chan?"

"Remember that faint power I felt in Kame-chan? Well, it's getting stronger… And Circe said it was Persona, too. Circe's getting really riled up from all these Personas. She says they are very dangerous to us."

"Hmm… Arisu Amano… Yes, she very well may be the One…" Amaya mused after a few moments of deep thought, her lips forming a calm smile. "The One who will give us the power we need to set Mother Nyx free from the abominable Great Seal… Even if she is not, she is a crucial ally. We must recruit her at all costs. And if Matsuda awakens to her power, she must join us as well, or we will have to dispose of her. Understood?"

"Understood," Jun declared without hesitation.

"…Yeah, understood," Minori said after a moment.

"Good."

* * *

I spent the next couple of hours working on the homework I had been given today so I could get ahead. That helped pass the time. Then, once it was over, Kameko and I headed out to go to Wuck. Our walk there was quiet. She was tired from practice and I was trying to figure out how to tell her about what had happened with Mochizuki, Fukushima, and Yanagi.

We also didn't say anything as we ordered our food and then went to a booth in the back. We didn't say anything either when we started to eat. Finally, I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"…They asked me to join," I announced, catching her attention.

Her eyes shot to me, enlarging. "…What?!"

"Before I went to the gym, Mochizuki, Fukushima, and Yanagi came to me and said I was welcome to join the club," I clarified. "So they didn't directly ask me, I guess. But still."

"But you just got here!" she exclaimed, shocked. "They've never gone after someone so quickly before!"

I pursed my lips. "Maybe I'll find out why they want me so badly…"

Kameko sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes. "Please, Arisu… Whatever you do, don't go to one of their meetings! I… I don't want to lose another friend… Please…"

It was like she was practically beginning me. I understood why she was saying this, but… how else would we find out what was going on? If we were going to figure this out, we would have to take risks.

"Kameko… I'll never give in," I said calmly. "If I go, it's because I want to find out what they're doing and what their club even is about."

She didn't seem too sure about it. "Arisu, what they do is like brainwashing…! If you go, even just to check it out, you'll end up like one of them!"

I gritted my teeth, starting to get frustrated. "I thought you were with me, Kameko, no matter what we do."

She looked startled by what I said. "I-I am!" she insisted, before looking away from me. "I just… don't think this is a good idea…"

"Well, they're not pressuring me yet," I said, and she looked back at me. "We still have time."

She grew quiet for a moment, looking down at her burger. "…Yeah, I guess…" She was silent for another moment. "So, uh, what exactly are we…? Like… an investigation team or something?"

"You could put it that way," I mused.

"Hah… My dad's a cop," she told me with a bitter laugh. "I never thought I'd ever be doing anything like him…"

That surprised me. "Your dad's a cop? Is that why you live at the dorm?"

"Yeah…" She picked up her burger, and took a bite. She didn't continue until she had swallowed it. "He's super busy all the time, so it's just easier for me to be somewhere else…"

"What about your mom?" I asked, taking a bite of a fry.

"My mom's dead."

I nearly choked on my food. "O-Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know… I shouldn't have asked that…"

"It's fine," she said after a moment. "I never knew her. She died giving birth to me… So… it doesn't hurt as much. I'm used to it."

That still didn't make me feel any better. My appetite was disappearing. But Kameko kept on eating. Well, she had practice so I wasn't surprised. She was the one who broke the silence.

"…Should we have a name?" she asked looking back down at me.

"…Huh?" I blinked. "A name?"

"Yeah, a name," she said. "Something to call ourselves. Something more snazzy than 'the Investigation Team', 'cause that's just boring."

I laughed. "Well, then, what do you have in mind?"

"Uh…" She set down her burger and tapped her chin. "Maybe an abbreviation?"

"…Um… How about… SEES? Short for _'Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad'_," I offered, though it seemed familiar to me somehow. "We could start our own club or something to counter their club!"

"Nah," she said after a moment, shaking her head. "That's _too_ fancy. And we're not exactly 'specialized' either."

I sighed. "All right then, _you_ come up with something. Since you want us to have a name and all."

"Okay, okay, I'm thinking, I'm thinking!"

I forced myself to continue to eat as she thought. She ate, too, as she thought. I did think it would be nice to have a name. It would give this whole situation more solidity. It would make it more believable that all of this craziness was actually going on.

…And to think this was happening all on my first day.

Kameko sighed heavily after several minutes. "This is so hard… How do people come up with stuff like this?!"

"Who knows," I replied with a shrug.

"I'll have to think on it," she said with another sigh. "But let's eat before everything gets cold! And, uh, are you good with math? Because I don't understand tonight's homework at all…"

* * *

The day eventually came to a close. I was exhausted, so I went to bed early. But as soon as I fell asleep, I was sucked into a strange dream world I had never encountered before…

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter."

I opened my eyes to see that I was surrounded by blue. To be more exact, it was blue velvet. I looked around to see that I must have been in a train car; I could feel that it was moving, though the windows were pitch black, like we were going through a dark tunnel. I was sitting on one of the soft, plush velvet seats. I stood up to get a better view.

There, sitting in a chair in front of what should have been the door leading to the next train car, was an old man. He was a little terrifying, to be honest. He was nearly bald, with scraggly white hair, and wide, bloodshot eyes. The most noticeable thing, however, was his abnormally large nose; it was longer than I thought was physically possible. He was dressed in a black suit with a matching tie, with fancy white gloves covering his spindly fingers.

The odd old man wasn't alone, either. Standing next to him like an attendant, was a boy slightly younger than me. He had wildly curly, blonde hair that was so pale it was almost silver, and startling gold eyes. He was wearing a dark blue suit, with a white dress shirt, and black bow tie. His lips pulled back into a charming smile when he noticed I was staring at him. I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

This was one weird dream so far…

"My name is Igor," the strange old man said, the one who had welcomed me before.

"And my name is James," the boy said, his voice just as alluring as his smile.

"Um… My name is Arisu Amano," I said for probably the millionth time today.

James gave me yet another smile. "What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

I felt myself blush even harder. "Why am I here…?"

"You are the newest guest here in the Velvet Room," Igor told me, unfazed by his assistant's flirtatious actions. "You signed the contract, yes?"

I looked down at the short cart in front of him, and there was the paper that I signed. So it was a contract after all. But a contract for what…?

"We expect you to honor your commitment," James told me.

"Of course… But what exactly am I here for?" I asked

"You have a special power," Igor began to explain. "I am here to assist you in wielding your power… Your power is unique, though you share it with past guests. Your power is like the number zero—it has no value, but in it, it has infinite possibilities."

That… made no sense at all to me.

My power was nothing… but it had infinite possibilities? How in the world could that work? It was also like the number zero in that it made no sense. Man, why was everything so confusing? Was there anything I would ever be able to understand?

The fact that this dream was reality was insane enough.

"I have kept you long enough," Igor said. "Time marches on in your world. Next time, you will come here on your own accord."

"You will need this," James said, and a strange key materialized on the cart.

I hesitated at first, and then reached out to take the key. It gleamed in my fingers, cool to the touch. I slipped the key into my pocket.

"Thank you," I said, not sure what else to say.

"Until we meet again."

* * *

**Welcome to Persona: Ultraviolet!**

**This is, obviously, an original Persona fanfiction taking place twelve years after the events of Persona 3. Also obvious, it is connected to P3. It is also connected to Persona 4, but the events in P4 are not as important to the plot as in P3.**

**Past characters will be appearing, but mainly as secondary characters.**

**Not all of the main cast will be female; there will be guys, but they won't show up until a little bit later.**

**I will be referencing the games a lot, like gameplay, jokes, etc.**

**What else...**

**Feedback is welcomed! I'll accept any polite criticism. But any kind of review is welcomed! I really want to make this awesome.**

**That's all.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	2. II: Here Charges the Chariot

**PERSONA: ULTRAVIOLET**

**Chapter II: Here Charges the Chariot**

* * *

_Tuesday, April 12th, 2022, Waxing Gibbous Moon_

I woke up from yet another of those strange dreams. I quickly pulled my hand that supposedly held the key out from beneath the covers. It was still there, gleaming in the faint light that was filtering through my drapes. I couldn't help but stare at it, shocked.

So that really was more than a dream.

I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. Just then, my alarm went off, making me jump in surprise. I hit the snooze button, and then turned it off. I sighed heavily, running a hand through my tousled hair, and forced myself to get up.

So... The Velvet Room was a real place. Like Igor said, it must have been stuck between dream and reality... mind and matter. It was hard to grasp, but I had no choice but to believe what he said. I stared at the key for a moment, before setting it down on my nightstand, and then standing up.

But... What exactly was this 'power' he said I had? I sure didn't feel any power.

I sighed heavily, and began to get ready for the day.

* * *

"Wait up, Arisu!"

I stopped right before I passed the gate to enter Kana. I had left alone this morning, so I wasn't surprised to see that Kameko was the one who had called to me. I waited for her to reach me.

"Hey Kameko," I greeted her, wondering what was up.

"Have you heard of the Witching Hour Amusement Park?" she asked me.

I blinked, trying to think. The name was familiar, like I had heard it once before. Maybe I heard it on a commercial on TV or something? I wondered why she was bringing it up.

"Well, it shut down about a year ago because of an... accident," she said, hesitating a little on the last word. "It's reopening today! Everyone used to hang there after school, so it's really great that it's opening back up for business."

"...Accident?" I asked, frowning.

Kameko sighed. "Yeah. Last year, a girl from our school hid in the women's restroom through closing time, and stayed overnight. It was a dare, I think. The next morning... She was found dead, covered in blood, her body hanging from the rollercoaster. My dad was investigating the case. They shut it down to be safe."

I stared at her, my eyes wide with horror. "She was killed?"

Kameko shrugged. "Nobody knows, but people assume so. Everybody went on and on about her being the nicest girl in the world and that she didn't deserve to die like that. But she wasn't. She was one of the meanest girls in the school."

That was... really creepy. "...You think she deserved that?"

She snorted. "Of course not. Nobody deserves to die like that, not even a bitch like her."

"That's really sad," I said with a sigh. "Is it safe there?"

"They're increasing security a lot, and they'll be much more careful to make sure everyone's off the property after hours," she explained. "My dad's supervising the reopening, I think. Looking for any shady people, y'know. Though it's probably best to wait a while before going there."

Just then, the bell rang, signaling class was about to begin.

"Crap, we're late!" Kameko exclaimed with alarm. "C'mon, we gotta hurry!"

I rushed to class with her, wondering why she hated being late so much. I used to be late all the time back at Gekkoukan to the point that my teacher gave up trying to make me change. I mean, yeah, now I didn't want to be late all the time. But being tardy once in a while wasn't the end of the world.

But as soon as we both stepped inside our classroom, I could understand why.

Every single girl in that room turned to stare at us. Even Mochizuki set down her pencil from whatever she was doing to look up at us. It was like they were accusing us of something. Well, I wouldn't let it get to me. I ignored their stares to walk over to my seat and sat down. Kameko did the same.

"You're late, girls," Sister Mitsuko said to us in a stern tone. "Kameko-san, it's unusual for you. Arisu-san, you're new, but I hope you won't make this a habit. Is everything all right?"

"Of course," I said.

"Uh, yeah," Kameko replied, sounding embarrassed.

Our classmates didn't sound convinced. Well, they could think all they wanted. I didn't care. I was used to rumors, so it wasn't that big of a deal to me. Sister Mitsuko called everyone's attention, and class began moments later.

Today we had English first thing, so we didn't change teachers. Sister Mitsuko asked us to take out our textbooks, so I did, turning to the proper page. We would be practicing, so I took out a notebook and pen.

English wasn't my best subject, but I was pretty decent at it. Japanese was easier, considering I had grown up with it, though sometimes I had trouble with kanji. Sister Mitsuko began to teach, and I did my best to pay attention.

I was starting to nod off a little when my name was called.

"How about... Arisu-san!" I nearly jumped to attention. "What is the meaning of this word?" She pointed to a word written on the board.

If I had paid attention, I would probably have gotten the answer quicker. But I recognized the word from last year. I guess the curriculum here was a little different. Maybe they were slower, taking more time to teach and review?

"Elocution means the art of public speaking," I answered.

Sister Mitsuko looked surprised that I knew the answer. "Correct! I'm surprised you knew that. Our classes teach more advanced material than most high schools. Very good, Arisu-san!"

The girls began to murmur amongst themselves in class. I swore I heard someone say, "Wow, Arisu pays attention in class! She must be really smart!"

...Not really... But suddenly I felt more charming. Maybe answering questions correctly had its benefits.

* * *

Lunchtime came, and since it was raining outside, we had to eat inside in our classrooms. I went out into the hall to stretch my legs before I ate. It was a lot cooler in the hall, so it felt even better to move around. However, I wasn't aware that I was being followed. When I stopped, I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I turned around, startled.

"Hiya!" a girl exclaimed with a cheerful smile; I recognized her from my class. "I just wanted to say hi and welcome you to our school! My name's Rika Miyasaki, if you don't remember!"

"It's nice to meet you, Miyasaki-san," I said, silently chiding myself for forgetting her name.

She was shorter than me by a few inches, and slim. She had short brown hair pulled up into pigtails on each side of her head, tied with light pink ribbons. She had big light brown eyes that were bright and excited. Her uniform had a miniskirt instead of the regular length, and she wore bright pink thigh-high socks. She was very pretty, and I got the feeling that she was popular. She had that look, a look I once had.

"Oh, just call me Rika!" she said with a light laugh. "I just wanted to let you know, if you ever want to hang out, I'm game!"

"All right," I said, putting on a friendly smile. "And thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"Yay!" she cheered, clapping her hands together. "I'm sure we'll have a blast! Oh, I have to go to the office for Fashion Club! I'm free on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, so let's hang out then sometime! Bye-bye!"

She talked in such a rushed voice before waving and dashing away. It was kind of startling. I brushed my bangs to the side a little, before turning around to head back to the classroom. I nearly jumped out of my skin to see Mochizuki, Fukushima, and Yanagi all standing behind me.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed. "You shocked me!"

"I apologize, Amano-san," Mochizuki said, and she looked and sounded sincere. "We just wanted to talk to you."

"Oh." I already knew what they wanted to tell me, but I decided to act like I had no clue. "About what?"

"We would really, really, _really_ love it if you joined our club!" Yanagi exclaimed, bubbly as always. "And if Kame-chan wants to join too, she can! It'll be really fun!"

Oh crap.

This time, they were directly asking me. There was no suggesting. They were making themselves clear. This was not good at all. What made it even worse was that they included Kameko, though that might have just been Yanagi talking as her old friend.

"I already told you I'm not joining any clubs anytime soon," I said, doing my best to stay calm. "I just want to get used to things here first, y'know?"

"I'm sure we could help you feel at home, Amano-san," Mochizuki said, giving me a serene smile.

The fact that she was always so calm really was starting to creep me out. It was like nothing could bother her. I didn't think that was very normal. But then again, none of what was happening was normal.

Fukushima didn't say anything, which wasn't very surprising. She seemed to be more of a silent type. Did she even smile...?

"Arisu, are you gonna-" came the voice of Kameko as she stepped out of the classroom, probably talking about my lunch which was waiting for me. But she cut herself off when she saw who I was talking to. "Oh. What do _you_ want?"

Fukushima tensed, taking a nearly unnoticeable closer to Mochizuki. Yanagi looked a little surprised, but she didn't move. I could already feel the tension filling the hallway. Other girls began to scatter, hastling returning to their classrooms. They probably suspected a fight.

"We were just talking to Amano-san about joining the club," said Mochizuki, _still_ calm.

Kameko did not want to hear that. "She doesn't want to join your stupid club."

Fukushima's stance did not relax. "We'd like to hear that from her, not you."

"...I don't want to join your club," I deadpanned.

Mochizuki turned back to face me, her expression disappointed. "Are you positive? You could become as high-ranked as us..."

So this club had ranks... That was good to know.

"I'm sure," I answered. "Now I'd really like to eat my lunch. Excuse me."

They let me pass, and I followed Kameko back inside the classroom. Today was going to be a really long day.

* * *

Kameko didn't have club today, so we decided to walk home together. Right as we left the building, a familiar voice called out to us.

"Matsuda! Amano!"

We both stopped, and turned around to see Yukimura walking towards us. She looked practically perfect, not even worn down from the day. We both waited for her to reach us. She brushed her hair behind her back when she stopped.

"Yeah, Yukimura?" asked Kameko, looking down at her.

"Today, it's my turn to meet up with my brother at his school and walk him to our dorm," she told us. "I was wondering if you'd like to come... I don't feel very safe walking alone, to be honest..."

"The amusement park?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I know we're nowhere near the place, but I can't help but feel nervous," she said sheepishly, looking embarrassed. "And I don't want to call Haru and make him come here instead..."

"It's okay," I said. "We'll go with you, right, Kameko?"

"Ugh, do I have to?" she grumbled. "Your brother's so annoying! He drives me insane!"

"C'mon, Kameko," I said, looking up at her. "How bad can he be?"

"You haven't met him," she deadpanned. "But fine, I'll go. I've got nothing better to do anyways."

"Thank you," Yukimura said with relief. "And... maybe we should all be on a first name basis?"

"That's fine with me," I said with a smile. "Besides, it'd be really confusing with two Yukimuras around!"

Mizuki laughed, a resonant, bell-like sound. "Very true. Well, let's go."

Kameko sighed heavily as we set off. Apparently, the boys' school was also Catholic, but run by monks. Our school was associated with theirs; they would come together for dances and festivals and stuff. It was called Kenshin Academy.

We walked down the sidewalk, making small talk as we went. Kameko obviously did not want to see Haruto; I had to wonder why. Was there something wrong with him? He couldn't be that bad, could he?

It took us twenty minutes to walk to the boys' school. It was similar to Kana, but looked more well kept outside. The gates were entirely metal, shining black in the sun. We walked through the entrance of the gate to see a long, pristine lawn full of green grass. The lawn was split into two by a wide, white sidewalk leading to stairs that led up to double doors of the school. Trees were scattered around, some with boys gathered around them. The school itself was a four-story brick building.

Kameko sighed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Let's get this over with."

We followed Mizuki down the sidewalk, and then she took a left, heading towards one of the trees with a group of boys around it. She stopped a few yards away, and turned to us.

"Stay here," she said. "I'll get him."

Kameko and I stayed where we were, and Mizuki walked up to the group of boys. They all stopped what they were doing, turning their attention to her. A few words were exchanged, and then one of the guys picked his bag up from the ground and walked over to us with Mizuki, giving his friends a wave goodbye. Both of them stopped in front of us.

"This is my brother, Haruto," said Mizuki, towards me. "Haru, this is my new dorm mate, Arisu Amano."

Haruto was a few inches taller than me, obviously shorter than Kameko, and had a slim build to him. He had wildly curly golden blonde hair that fell into his dark blue eyes. Light brown freckles were scattered over his nose and cheekbones, though they appeared to be fading. He had a cute, boyish charm to him. He was wearing his adaptation to the school's uniform—a black jacket, a gold dress shirt, and black slacks. Dark gold and black headphones hung around his neck, as did a gold medallion of a sun.

"Yo, Arisu! It's nice to see another pretty girl around!" He grinned mischievously. "I can call you that, right?"

"Uh, sure," I said, caught by surprise. I was used to compliments, but it was kinda sudden since this was the first guy I had met since moving here.

"Ugh, Haruto," grumbled Kameko. "Is that all you can think about? Don't you ever think that, oh, you could be _bothering_ someone?"

"Hey!" he exclaimed, looking offended. "I'm just stating the truth! Jeez, Kameko, you need to chill! I'm not bothering you, am I Arisu?"

"No..." I said slowly.

Kameko sighed. "Ugh, whatever. Just don't try anything! Arisu's new and she doesn't need any crap from you!"

"Whoa, who said I was going to _try_ anything?!" Haruto exclaimed, really offended now.

"Guys-" I began, trying to stop them.

"Because you're a pervert, that's why!" she snapped.

"Oh dear..." Mizuki sighed, and I looked over at her. "They always do this..."

I brushed my bangs out of my eyes, tucking them behind my ear. Haruto opened his mouth to retort, but I spoke before he could say anything.

"Both of you, _stop_!" I snapped, causing them both to look at me. "Okay, Kameko, you don't like Haruto. That doesn't mean you can treat him like that. I don't see anything wrong with him. He's not doing anything. When he does, then you can yell at him. But not now. _Please_."

Kameko opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it, scowling and crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine. Whatever. Let's just get out of here."

She gave the boy one last glare before stalking away. Mizuki, Haruto, and I stood in silence for a moment.

"Jeez, she seriously needs to get laid," Haruto said.

_What?! _I wasn't shocked that he used that phrase; I had heard it a million times. I was more surprised that he would suggest such a thing. He didn't seem to be in that kind of crowd, you know?

"Oh, Haru," his sister sighed, before walking away to follow Kameko, leaving me alone with him.

I gave him a dry look.

"What? She's so uptight!" he exclaimed defensively. "Well, let's go Arisu!"

He headed off cheerily, and I sighed, and followed him. It took us a bit longer to get to the dorm since we were farther away. We caught up with Mizuki, though Kameko was much farther ahead so we didn't find her. When we got there, she was already at the dorm, which wasn't surprising. As soon as she noticed we were back, she shot Haruto a dirty look. Mizuki sighed, before heading off to her room to put her school stuff away.

Kameko slammed the fridge door shut as Haruto dumped his bag on the dining table. I quickly went to my own room to put my bag down, and then returned to the living room where everyone else was. Kameko had removed Haruto's bag, putting it down on the floor, up against the table's leg. The three of them were sitting at the table. Mizuki had taken out her homework, and it looked like she was forcing her brother to do the same.

I sat down next to Kameko, across from Mizuki. She had her elbows propped up on the table, her chin resting on her palms, shooting irritated glares at the boy across from her. He was looking at her too, but with a mischievous smirk on his face.

Was something going on between those two...? This didn't seem like normal behavior between a guy and a girl to me.

Mizuki suddenly jabbed her brother in the ribs. "Pay attention! I'm trying to help you study!"

"S-Sorry!" he exclaimed, flinching a bit, before sitting up straight. "All these pretty ladies are distracting."

"Will you _stop_?!" Kameko demanded, slamming her palms onto the table. "Nobody here likes you hitting on them!"

Mizuki sighed heavily. "I also would appreciate it if you stopped making advances on my friends."

I stayed silent. There wasn't much for me to say, anyways.

"All right, all right!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in a calm down gesture. "Old habits die hard! I'll stop, I'll stop."

"Thank you," Mizuki said calmly. "Now,_ pay attention_ or you _will_ fail."

Wow, that was a bit harsh. But Haruto happily complied. Kameko and I ended up getting out our homework as well, joining in on the study session. I felt smarter after that. We saw Haruto off back to his dorm after dinner, and then tuned down for the day.

* * *

_Wednesday, April 13th, 2022, Waxing Gibbous Moon_

The next day began like the others. I got up, got ready, and then headed off to school. This time, I walked with Mizuki. It was quiet. Mizuki wasn't much of a talker in the first place, and I didn't really know what to say. I mean, she wasn't the kind of person I usually hung out with. It was the same case with Kameko.

"So... um..." I began, breaking the silence; she looked up and over at me, a curious expression on her face. "Are you... in any clubs?"

"Oh, yes, I am," she answered, looking straight ahead again. "I'm the captain of the Archery Club, and I am on the Student Council."

I could see her as an archer. It... fit her, really. But I was slightly surprised to hear about Student Council. I guess she seemed too quiet to be involved in something like that. But I guess not.

"Student Council?" I echoed, expressing my surprise. "That's impressive! What do you do...?"

"I'm the Disciplinary Committee Representative."

Now _that_ was not surprising at all.

"...You must get a lot of hate for that," I noted, remembering how much everyone back at Gekkoukan disliked, if not hated, our Disciplinary Committee Representative. I was included on the haters list...

Mizuki let out a light, clear laugh. "From time to time, yes. But I still get lots of respect for what I do. Even if they don't like it, someone has to help the sisters keep order. I enjoy the responsibility."

Responsibility... That was something I never liked. When I was younger, I would whine and complain about the simple chores my parents gave me to do. I hated having to take care of anything. Actually, I hated doing _anything_ myself. I just wanted to waste my days away having fun. And my definition of fun was... not something I was proud of now. But that was all in the past now, which was such a relief.

"Well, I commend you for it, Mizuki," I said, giving her an appreciative smile. "That's not something everybody could do. I definitely couldn't do that!"

A small smile formed on her lips. "Thank you, Arisu-san. I'm glad at least one person appreciates my hard work."

"Hey, it's nothing!"

* * *

The hours flew by, and soon it was lunchtime. It was sunny and fairly warm outside, so we all could go out for lunch. I was planning on eating lunch with Kameko, and I was going to try to do some planning about what to do about Mochizuki's club. I gathered my lunch to go outside, and left the classroom with everyone else.

"Hey, Arisu, wait," Kameko said, and I stopped in the hall, turning around to face her.

"Yeah?" I asked, confused.

"I have to do something for Basketball Club real quick," she said. "So I might be a little late to lunch. Just wanted to let you know."

"Oh, gotcha," I said with a nod. "I'll see you in a few then."

"Right!" she agreed, before heading off down the other end of the hall.

I started off again; the hall was almost entirely vacant now. But, right as I rounded the corner, I nearly collided with someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl cried, taking a step back away from me. "I wasn't looking where I was going..."

The girl looked about a year older than me. She had long, straight brown hair that went down to the small of her back, and bangs cut evenly across her forehead. Her eyes were soft brown. She was slightly taller than me. Her uniform was standard, with nothing unusual about it.

"It's okay," I said, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

"...You're new, aren't you?" she asked, and I nodded. "I'm Nanako Dojima, a senior. I transferred here as a junior, from Inaba."

Inaba?! As in that small town that was home to a string of murders about a decade ago? I was surprised I could remember that. That had been pretty serious stuff. My parents had been worried about it coming to us, though we were pretty far away.

"I'm Arisu Amano," I replied, friendly. "I'm a junior."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, giving me a friendly, gentle smile. "Well, I have to get something from the office. It was nice meeting you."

"Bye Senpai," I said, as she headed off.

Finally, I set off for the courtyard. By the time I got there, I only had to wait a few minutes for Kameko to arrive. I was surprised Mochizuki, Fukushima, nor Yanagi had approached me again yet. Had they given up...?

No, there was no way they had given up so easily. They were just biding their time, I guess.

"Have you heard from THEM again?" Kameko asked me, looking up from her meal.

"...No," I said after swallowing my food. "But I doubt they're done so soon."

"...Yeah," she agreed with a sigh. "They never give up. They're probably up to something."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. Mizuki had offered to make me a lunch, and it was absolutely delicious. It was much better than anything I could make, and I was a decent chef.

"Have you come up with a name for us yet?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, hell no."

I laughed. "Well, we don't need one anytime soon."

"...Right," she grumbled.

A few minutes later, I pushed back my chair and stood up, catching Kameko's attention. "I'm going to get a Cielo Mist. Be right back."

"All right," she said as I headed off.

I had to wait to get to the vending machine, but just like last time, they decided to approach me as I was getting my soda. They called to me right as I was reaching down to get my drink, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin.

"Amano-san!"

I jumped, jerking up straight, and whipped around. There stood Mochizuki, Fukushima, and Yanagi. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and forced myself to be polite, though they really were starting to get on my nerves.

"Hello Mochizuki-san, Fukushima-san, Yanagi-san," I greeted them, popping open the tab of my soda can.

"Please, call us by our first names," Mochizuki told me, calm as ever. "We're all comrades here."

...We were?

"Okay... Amaya, Jun, Minori," I said, testing out their names slowly.

"You're still not going to join us, are you?" Minori asked doubtfully, sounding slightly disappointed. "I don't think Kame-chan wants to either."

"No, we don't," I said, speaking for my friends as well as myself. "Sorry..."

"You're making a big mistake," Jun told me gruffly.

"Now now," Amaya chided her friends. "If Arisu-san and Kameko-san do not wish to join us, that is fine. But, we would appreciate it if you kept thinking about it. We could really use gifted people like you and Kameko-san."

So... We were gifted...? Was this the power Igor told me about?

Wait... If I visited their club, I could finally find out what this mysterious power I was supposed to have was! I hesitated, wondering if I should dare ask. But the temptation was too great. And Amaya knew that. She said that on purpose. I knew a manipulator when I saw one. And she was _good_.

"...Gifted?" I repeated slowly.

"Yes," Amaya said gently, smiling serenely. "You and Kameko-san both have the potential... of amazing gifts of power."

We had the potential of amazing gifts of power...? Something was making me uneasy, that strange feeling I felt before when I first met Amaya. It was like something was stirring inside me in response to her words.

"Power?" I echoed.

"I cannot tell you more," she said sorrowfully. "You will have to come to our Convert Day on Friday. Shall we expect you, Arisu-san?"

So Kameko was right about that. I hesitated again, remembering my friends words. She said that anyone who went to their convert day thing was brainwashed into servitude. Was that really something to risk to find out what this power was...?

I bit my bottom lip, debating. Should I take the risk...?

I... I needed to know the truth. And the only way to find the truth was to go.

"Yeah," I said with a nod. "I'll be there."

A wide smile spread across Amaya's face, pleased with her victory. "Excellent. We will be waiting for you, Arisu-san. Bring Kameko-san as well, if you can."

There was no backing out of this now.

* * *

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Kameko shrieked at me, her eyes wide with horror.

We were sitting in Wild-Duck Burger, getting a bite to eat after school, and to freely discuss any new information we had gained. I had just told her that I had agreed to attend the convert day thing. Other people in the restaurant glanced at us, and I winced a little at my friend's shout.

"Are you INSANE?!" she demanded. "Do you _want_ to get brainwashed?!"

"Kameko..." I sighed. "Just because I go doesn't mean I'll get brainwashed."

"It's happened to everyone else!" she exclaimed, scowling. "What makes you any different?!"

She... had a point. But, still, I needed to do this. There was no time for regret. I needed to know the truth, and this was the easiest, quickest way.

"Calm down and listen to me for a sec," I said, before lifting my soda and taking a sip. "Let me explain."

She sighed, and leaned back in her seat in the booth across from me. "Fine."

I set down my soda, and rested my arms on the table. "They told me I had... some sort of power. I'm gifted with something. And they said you had this power too."

"..._What_?!" Her eyes widened. "That's... That's...!"

"...Crazy, right?" I said with a light laugh. "But when Mochizuki told me that, I got that weird feeling again. So, I decided to go to their club meeting to figure out how all of this connects. It can't all be a coincidence."

She frowned, and then sighed. "All right, I understand. But... There's no way I'm letting you go by yourself! I... I... uh... d-don't want to lose another friend!"

I was quiet for a moment. "Okay, but... how about you stay in the background? If they somehow do manage to brainwash me, there needs to be one of us left on the outside."

She pursed her lips, and then nodded. "I could do that, yeah. So it's a plan?"

I nodded, and tried to give her a reassuring smile. "It's a plan! But, for now, let's enjoy ourselves!"

"...Yeah..." she agreed, but she didn't sound too hopeful.

I just hoped I hadn't made the biggest mistake of my life. But I had a strong will, and I wasn't about to give in easily. I was going to get to the bottom of this, if it was the last thing I did.

* * *

_Thursday, April 14th, 2022, Waxing Gibbous Moon_

The next day was pretty uneventful. Kameko was busy during lunch, so I ended up eating lunch alone outside. I was very aware that the members of the club—not just the Morrigan—were watching me. It was kind of creepy, to be honest.

It was like... they were watching, waiting. Like they knew I was coming to their club already.

Not knowing what was going on was driving me insane.

"Hello, Arisu."

I looked up to see Nanako-senpai from yesterday. I was surprised she had come over to talk to me. "Oh, hey, Senpai."

"I saw you sitting her alone, so I thought I'd join you," she said, smiling softly. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," I said, sitting up straight.

She pulled out the chair across from me, and sat down, setting down her boxed lunch on the table. "No one should ever eat alone."

"Thanks, Nanako-senpai," I said, truly surprised.

"It's nothing, Arisu," she insisted, before beginning to enjoy her meal.

We ate in silence for a few minutes, before Nanako paused and looked up at me.

"I've heard that those girls in that club have been talking to you," she told me suddenly.

"Oh... Yeah..." I decided it would be best not to tell her I was going to the club on Friday.

She sighed, and shook her head. "I've been in the same class as Jun Fukushima since I first came here. She wasn't always like that."

Okay, first Minori... But now Jun, too? What was going on?! Amaya had to be doing something, then. It was all her. And, well, that wasn't really surprising considering how strange that girl was. It wasn't... _human_ strange. It was like she was something else.

"...Really?" I asked, showing my surprise.

Nanako nodded. "It all happened last year. I transferred here in the very beginning, and not long after that, Amaya Mochizuki arrived. She was a sophomore, so I didn't really pay attention to her. But I noticed that, pretty much right away, Jun was taken by her."

"...Taken...?" I asked slowly, confused for a moment. "What do you—oh."

Nanako nodded. "Jun... is a lesbian. A lot of the girls in our school are scared of her because of that. Nobody picks on her, though, because she's so intimidating. Anyways, she got a crush on Mochizuki. And before we all knew, it they had started that club together."

Huh... "And then when Minori transferred, she joined them?"

She nodded again. "Yes. I don't know what's so big about their club, but I have to admit, everything that's happened with it sure is weird."

"You're not the only one who thinks that," I snorted.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew," she said. "Try not to get mixed up with them..."

It was a little too late for that...

"I'll do my best," I reassured her. "Thanks, Senpai."

She seemed relieved. "No problem, Arisu!"

* * *

_Friday, April 15th, 2022, FULL MOON_

Today was the day.

Today was the day I was going to attend the weird, cult-like club and find out what the hell was going on.

...I was so screwed.

"Good morning, Arisu," Mizuki greeted me right outside the gate to Kana, where I was lingering, hesitating in actually going to school. "Did you know there's a full moon tonight?"

"Oh, hi, Mizuki," I said, trying to get a grip on myself. _Everything would be okay._ "Nope, I had no clue! Huh."

"I like to read by moonlight, so I keep watch of the moon's phases," she told me. "Some people say dark forces are the most powerful on nights when the moon is full."

...Okay, she was really not making me feel any better.

"I don't believe any of that, though," she said with a light laugh. "Well, shall we? We don't want to be late."

"Uh, yeah, let's go," I agreed hastily.

Mizuki frowned, noticing my uneasiness. "Is everything all right, Arisu?"

I sighed heavily. "Not really... I... agreed to attend Mochizuki's club after school today."

Her pale blue eyes widened with shock. "What made you do that?"

"I just want to know what's going on, I guess," I replied with a sigh. "But I kinda wish I never agreed now..."

"Well, Arisu... It was nice knowing you."

* * *

Class went by wicked fast. The next thing I knew, the bell was ringing, signaling the end of classes. Everyone in my classroom got up and began to leave. I forced myself out of my desk as well, and turned to face Kameko, who looked grim. Amaya, who was in the back of the room, was taking her time in gathering her things.

"So..." Kameko drew out. "Today's the day. Are you sure you still wanna do this...?"

I nodded solemnly. "I doubt I could back out of it even if I wanted to."

"Arisu!"

I turned to see Amaya walking up to us, holding an old-looking, leather bound book in her arms against her chest. Kameko tensed, as always, and I did my best to stay calm. I could totally do this and not get brainwashed... or worse.

"Are you ready to go?" she inquired, before looking up at my friend. "Are you coming as well, Kameko-san?"

She shook her head. "No, I have to study."

"Ah." Amaya's face fell. "Oh well, you are always welcome to visit our club any time. Shall we head off, Arisu?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. "Let's go!" I tried to sound enthusiastic.

Mochizuki looked convinced. "Then follow me."

She turned around, heading back down the aisle, towards the door. I glanced back over at Kameko, who looked... sad and angry at the same time.

"See you later," I said, before following Amaya, who was waiting for me at the door.

Amaya led me out of the room, and then down the hall. We ventured deep into the building, farther than I knew was possible. It was dark in these halls. My nerves were really starting to get to me. Finally, she stopped at a door, and opened it. She stepped inside, and I followed her. The light was nearly blinding when she flipped the switch, and I had to squint my eyes.

The room we were in appeared to be used for storage.

"This section of the school is not used anymore," Amaya told me. "It is deemed... unsafe."

I wondered why. It seemed like every school had its share of secrets. Gekkoukan sure did.

Amaya walked to the far wall of the small room, the only wall that was free of any boxes. She pressed her hand up against the wall, which I thought was rather odd. But then the wall began to move back, revealing a dark, candle-lit hallway.

...What was this, a mystery novel?

"We meet just down this hallway," she told me, before walking into the dimly lit path.

I hastily followed her down the hall, and then there was a door. She opened it, and then I followed her into yet another room. And I was astounded by what I saw.

The room was absolutely huge. It was dimly lit by candles arranged on tables strewn about the room. There were dozens of girls loitering throughout the room, talking in little groups. I stood there, staring in absolutely awe, as the door clicked shut behind me. Amaya took a couple steps forward, and then turned around to face me. Her lips pulled back in an amused smile when she noticed my reaction.

"What do you think?" she asked, gesturing to everything around us.

"It's... amazing," I said, and it was the truth.

"I'm glad you like it," she said. "Now, come. You have a lot to learn if you are to join us today."

...Huh?

I hastily followed her further into the room. As we walked, many of the girls greeted her, calling her 'Amaya-sama'. That was sure a lot of respect for a girl. They looked at her with idolizing eyes. I was astounded.

Amaya led me to the front of the room, where Minori and Jun were waiting, standing in front of a long, rectangular table pressed up against the wall. Candles were arranged behind stacks of old looking books on the table, and boxes were underneath it. I noticed the two girls had gun holsters around their waists, _with guns in the holsters._

I was in so much trouble.

"Hi, Amaya, Arisu!" Minori greeted us cheerily, with a wave.

Man, that girl was so nice. How did she get mixed up in this...?

"Took you long enough," Jun grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I apologize," said Amaya, stepping forward to set her book down at the table. "I had to make sure Arisu found her way."

"I've gotten her an Evoker prepared!" Minori chirped. "I got one made for Kame-chan, too, just in case she showed up... But it doesn't matter since she's not here."

What in the world was an Evoker?

"Thank you, Minori-chan," Amaya said, turning back around. "Where is it?"

"Right here!" She reached down to pick up a brief case up off the floor. She set it on the table, on top of the books She flipped it open, and took something out of it. Then, she presented me my very own gun. "Here you go, Arisu-chan!"

She placed the gun in my hands. The metal was cool to the touch, and I nearly dropped it.

"W-What?! Why are you giving me a gun?!" I demanded, freaked.

"It's not a gun," Jun responded, sounding irritated. "It's an _Evoker_. Get it right. We use them to summon our Shadows."

Shadows...?

"Minori-chan, why don't you demonstrate how we use our Evokers for Arisu-chan?" Amaya asked the redhead, not bothered by Jun's gruffness at all.

"Sure!" she exclaimed, reaching down to pull her 'Evoker' out of her gun holster. "Watch and learn!"

She gripped the gun with both hands, and then pressed the barrel to her forehead, like she was going to shoot herself and commit suicide. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who in their right mind would do that?!

"Hey, hold up, don't-" I exclaimed hastily, not wanting her to hurt herself.

But she pulled the trigger anyway. Her head jerked back as red glass exploded from where the bullet should have come out of, her legs spreading wider to take the impact. My eyes widened with shock as her body was surrounded by red fog, and then something seemed to pull out of her body. The thing stood up straight behind her, and the fog faded.

"Meet Circe!" Minori exclaimed, gesturing to the monster behind her.

The monster-creature-thing was about ten feet tall, and appeared to be a woman. She had long, straight black hair that fell all the way to the floor, but no eyes. Her skin was ivory, and she was naked except for a light blue strip of cloth covered her chest, and a matching skirt that looked more like a loin cloth. She held some sort of wand.

"W-What..." I could even find my voice. I was _terrified_.

"She is a Shadow," Amaya stated. "We all are Shadow-users, though not every club member is. You, however, according to Circe, are a Persona-user."

Shadow... Persona... What was the difference? This had to be the power Igor told me about.

"Circe doesn't like Personas," Minori sighed sadly. "I don't know why, though."

"Before you join us, there are more things you need to know," Amaya said, looking at me. "We call ourselves the Daughters of Nyx. Nyx is the Mother of Shadows, the Night Queen. She brings us eternal peace. Many years ago, on January thirty-first, two-thousand-ten, the Appraiser called her down to the Tower of Demise, also called Tartarus. Our predecessors, who called themselves Strega, did their best to stop a group of troublesome Persona-users. However, Nyx was defeated by a boy named Minato Arisato, and sealed away."

She paused, and no one said a word.

"We call this the Great Seal. Many years ago, Mother Nyx called out to me, telling me it was my duty to break the seal so she could bring us salvation once again. She told me to find the One who could break the seal. She gifted me with the power of Shadow to do so."

All of this... was almost too much to take.

"Mother Nyx brought me Jun-kun to help me in my quest, and then Minori-chan. Every Shadow-user here must go through an Encounter. She must go to the Witching Hour Amusement Park and stay overnight to experience her Encounter. Those who fail... die."

So that explained why that one girl died... It was because of this cult.

And, well, I wanted none of this. It wasn't right. It was evil. Whoever this Nyx was, she was evil, and I wanted nothing to do with her. How could anything called 'the Tower of Demise' bring good to the world?

"What if... you want nothing to do with the Daughters of Nyx?" I asked slowly and steadily.

"Well, then, Circe will force you to join us."

Wait, _what_?

"Oh..." Minori frowned. "I have to do it again...? Aw, man..."

"Are you sure you do not want to join us willingly, Arisu-chan?" Amaya asked, disappointment in her eerily violet eyes.

"I don't want to help you with bringing about the end of the world," I said stiffly. "My power isn't your power. We're not the same."

"I am very sad to hear that, Arisu-chan..." She paused. "Minori-chan, you know what to do."

"Yeah, yeah," Minori huffed. "Circe-"

"NO! STOP!"

I jerked around to see Kameko standing in the doorway. So she had followed us! Relief flooded me momentarily, until I realized I had dragged her into this mess now too. I was so stupid.

"Oh, wonderful," Amaya said, sounding agitated from behind me. "It looks like we might have to use force."

"Leave Arisu alone!" Kameko shouted, furious.

"Humph. Girls, subdue her!" Amaya ordered.

Oh, hell no!

I had to do something!

But what?!

I looked down at the gun—no, Evoker—in my hands. I had no choice. I had to use it. I couldn't let anything happen to Kameko. I would never forgive myself...

I lifted the Evoker, pressing it up against my right temple. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. I could do this. I could totally do this. Pressing a gun-like object to my head and pulling the trigger was totally not insane.

I heard Kameko scream. My eyes shot open to see a black blob-like thing lunging towards my friend.

I pulled the trigger.

A strong force exploded against my temple, and I heard glass shatter from the other side of my head. My stance widened to take the force of the shot. I felt like something was being ripped out of me as I was surrounded by a blue fog.

_"Thou art I... and I am thou..." _a voice echoed inside my head. _"From the sea of thy soul I come from thee."_

A being formed in front of me. It appeared to be a woman, as gigantic as the thing that Minori summoned. She had long, straight dark auburn hair with white feathers braided in on each side of her head. She was wearing a skimpy, bikini-like set of armor. It was deep magenta, with silver lining the edges. Tied around her waist was a magenta cape-like cloth, though it only covered her from behind. She had a long, sharp crystal-headed silver spear. Plain bandages were wrapped around her limbs.

_"I am Ishtar, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of love and war."_

So this was my Persona... Her name was Ishtar. But now wasn't the time to hesitate! I had to save Kameko!

"Agi!" I exclaimed, which was the first thing that came to my mind; it had to be an attack, right?

Ishtar took to the air, lunging towards the monster, which had almost reached my friend. Kameko stumbled back, barely avoiding the beast's sharp claws. That must have been a Shadow, since the Morrigan claimed to be Shadow-users. Ishtar waved her hand at the Shadow, and small flames came shooting out. The fire hit the Shadow, causing it to shriek in pain, and whip around to face my Persona. The monster lunged at Ishtar, and to much of my surprise, slashed her with its claws.

Pain hit me right where Ishtar was attacked. She was thrown back, and I was too, like we were connected. I hit the ground on my back, crying out in pain. My Evoker went flying out of my hand, hitting the floor and skidding several feet all the way to where Kameko sat. I groaned as I tried to push myself back up, and Ishtar was following my suit.

"You think you can beat that Shadow when you have only just awakened?" I heard Amaya say from wherever she was behind me. "You are a fool, Arisu. If you must resist, then I do not care what becomes of you."

"But Amaya-" I heard Minori begin, alarmed and frantic.

"No buts," the girl barked. "My word is final."

"You heard Amaya," came Jun's gruff voice. "Finish her, Shadow!"

The Shadow snarled, and took a step towards us. The pain was still throbbing across my stomach, and I couldn't find the strength to get up. Ishtar was stuck with the same fate. I couldn't believe it was going to end like this.

"NO!" I heard a desperate cry come from Kameko.

I looked up to see her stagger up onto her feet, snatching the Evoker up off the ground. She stared at it for a moment, and then, gripping it firmly in both her hands, pressed the barrel to her forehead. She squeezed her eyes shut, and then pulled the trigger.

Her body jolted from the impact, and I literally saw blue glass shatter from the back of her head. The eerie blue fog surrounded her as I saw her Persona appear before her. My eyes widened as I heard the Persona's voice speak to all of us; Ishtar must have done the same thing.

_"Thou art I... and I am thou... From the sea of thy soul I come from thee. I am Enyo, Greek goddess of war."_

Kameko's eyes shot open and she stared at her Persona. While Ishtar appeared to be... more of a sexual figure, Enyo was most definitely more intimidating. Her silver skin seemed to be plated with armor over her torso, and each of her limbs came to a sharp point. Her hair was jet black, going down to her chin, very scruffy and messy. Her bangs covered her eyes.

Kameko still seemed shocked, but she steeled herself. "Cleave!" she shouted, which I assumed was an attack.

Enyo lunged forward, taking to the air like my Persona had. Brandishing her weapons—aka her arms—she attacked the Shadow, slashing the monster with such ferocity multiple times. Moments later, our enemy exploded into shadowy dust, and then was gone.

Everyone was frozen in place as Enyo returned to her owner's side. I heard Ishtar finally rise to her feet behind me.

"Who's next?" Kameko demanded, sounding very confident, not that I could blame her.

I managed to get to my feet, though it pained me to move. I gasped, clutching at my abdomen as I tried to stand straight up. I turned around, and Ishtar moved out of the way so I could see our enemies. Amaya was frozen on the spot, her violet eyes wide with shock. Minori's mouth was open, forming a little 'O'. Jun looked as surprised as her expressions could probably allow her.

Amaya snapped out of her daze, narrowing her eyes. "...Go. Before I change my mind."

Jun looked at her, alarmed. "Are you serious?"

"...Yes. They are too dangerous for us to handle while unprepared."

I heard movement behind me, and then someone grabbed me by the arm. I jumped, and then relaxed when I saw it was only Kameko. I relaxed, and she handed me back the Evoker. It was slightly warm to the touch now.

"Let's go," she said, and I nodded. "Enyo... Uh... Come back to me...?"

The Persona nodded, and then vanished into thin air. So that's we all had to do...? Tell them to return to us?

"Ishtar... Return..."

She nodded as well, and then vanished. I actually felt her return... That part of me that stirred in reaction to certain things was back. It all made sense now—that odd feeling had been my Persona.

I let Kameko pull me away, feeling drained from everything that had just happened. My abdomen still ached from the attack Ishtar had received from the Shadow. I sure hoped it wouldn't always hurt this much.

When we got back to the dorm, the first thing I did was take a hot bath, throw on my pajamas, and then collapse in bed. I had never felt so exhausted before in my life. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

* * *

**I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT.**

**I normally don't take so long to update, but life is pretty much insane for me right now.  
**

**So! I hope this explained a lot! Not everything has been revealed though.  
**

**Nanako is the first of the characters from P3 and P4 to be revealed! She's an absolutely SWEETHEART in the games, so I had to add her. Though I have only watched some of P4 the Animation, ahahaha... You'll meet the P4 crew before anyone from P3, though P3 characters WILL be mentioned.  
**

**As you can probably tell by the title, Kameko's Persona (Enyo) is of the Chariot Arcana. Ishtar, of course, is of the Fool Arcana, as Arisu is the Fool.  
**

**NOW WE CAN GET TO THE GOOD STUFF  
**

**The Velvet Room, Social Links, other game play stuff!  
**

**What else... You've meet Haruto, who is such a joy to my heart. Heh, he's great!  
**

**Don't forget about Witching Hour Amusement Park, it's VERY important.  
**

**That's all! Reviews are love~  
**


	3. III: The Amusement Park of Doom

**PERSONA: ULTRAVIOLET**

**Chapter III: The Amusement Park of Doom  
**

* * *

_Sunday, April 17th, 2022, Waning Gibbous Moon_

Light burned through my eyelids as I finally seemed to drift into consciousness. I opened my eyes to find myself in my room back at the dorm, where I should have been. It took me a moment to remember why I was so tired. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, and rubbed my eyes. I glanced at the clock to see that it was nearly noon. Crap, I had slept in! Well, there was no point in going to school, then.

I dragged myself out of bed, wincing slightly because apparently I was still sore from the fight. I trudged over to my coat hanger to snatch my robe, and put it on, tying it up tightly. I pulled my door open, and left my bedroom. I walked down the hall, headed down the stairs, and then made my way towards the kitchen. I was surprised to see all my friends sitting at the dining table, including Haruto. They looked like they were studying.

"Gah, none of this makes any freaking sense!" Haruto exclaimed exasperatedly, throwing up his hands in frustration; his back was to me.

"Maybe if you'd _listen_ and not _argue_ with me every time I try to explain it to you, you would learn something!" Mizuki snapped at her brother from her seat beside him, her back also to me.

"But-" he began, looking over at her.

"No buts! You're just wasting all of our time if you are not going to cooperate!"

Kameko sighed heavily, and looked up, finally noticing me. "Hey, Arisu's up!"

As if on cue, both Mizuki and Haruto turned to look at me. Mizuki looked relieved to see me, while Haruto just flashed me a big grin. I was more confused that anything. Why were they all here...? Shouldn't they be at school?

"Yo, Ari-tan!" he greeted me. "I can call you that, right? Nice robe, by the way. Very pink. It looks good on you."

Uh...

"Ugh, you perv!" Kameko snapped. "She just woke up! Leave her alone!"

"...It's fine," I sighed, brushing my bangs to the side a little. "Shouldn't you guys be at school?"

"It's Sunday," said Mizuki. "You slept all day yesterday..."

What?! I slept for _that_ long?! Man, I had to be exhausted.

"I was going to wake you up but I decided not to," Kameko explained, calmer now. "You were really exhausted."

"Did something happen?" Mizuki asked, frowning. "You did say you were going to that club's meeting..."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Haruto exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You mean _that_ club? The freaky club led by those two lesbos that makes everyone going loopy and stuff?"

Mizuki sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, Haru. And what does the two leaders being lesbians have to do with anything...?"

"Uh... I dunno." He shrugged. "Just thought it was relevant."

"Of course it bothers him," Kameko grumbled. "Because he can't score with them."

"Hey, I resent that!" Haruto snapped. "You know, I don't always think about stuff like that!"

"It sure doesn't seem like it."

"Okay, okay, enough," I said, interrupting them before Haruto could retort. "I'm still tired, and you're giving me a headache."

"...Fine," Kameko huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Anyways... You could say something happened, Mizuki. We both barely got out of there with our lives."

Mizuki's pale blue eyes widened. "What happened?! Is there anything I can do?! As the Disciplinary Committee Representative, I should be able to do something if they attempted to harm you."

"I... I don't think there's anything you can do, Mizuki," I said dejectedly. "What they're up to... is beyond us."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Haruto snorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Beyond... us?" Mizuki echoed, still frowning.

Kameko slammed her fist onto the table, making us all jump. "And Minori got dragged right into the mess, the idiot! Ugh, how could she be so stupid!"

We all grew silent. I wished I could tell Mizuki and Haruto, but I didn't want to get them involved. They would only be of some help if they just happened to be Persona-users as well, but I highly doubted it. It would be too much of a coincidence. But I knew there was no way only Kameko and I could stop this, whatever it was.

"...Well, I should get something to eat," I said, breaking the silence.

"Oh, no, let me do it, Arisu!" Mizuki exclaimed, pushing back her chair to stand up. "Kameko, do you mind helping Haruto with his studies for a moment?"

"Ugh, fine," Kameko muttered. "You better listen, Haruto!"

"Okay, okay! I will! Jeez, just chill!"

* * *

Later on that day, after finally getting ready, I was caught by Haruto, who had finally finished his tutoring for the day.

"Hey, Ari-tan!" he greeted me cheerily, unfazed by what had happened earlier in the day. "Say, why don't we go get some food or something?"

I blinked, and then narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "...Are you asking me out?"

His eyes widened with shock. "Wha? Nononono no!" He waved his hands frantically in front of his chest and shook his head. "Seriously, I'm not! I just thought it'd be cool to hang out with you... Really!"

He seemed sincere, so I relaxed. After all the crap I had been through, there was no way in hell I was getting a boyfriend anytime soon, much less some guy I just met. Last year, that wouldn't have been a problem if he was hot—though Haruto was more cute than anything—but that was not who I was now.

"...All right," I said finally. "Where we can go...?"

His eyes brightened up. "Uh, well, lemme think... There's a lot of places, but, how about Hagakure-"

"There's a Hagakure Ramen here?!" I gasped, interrupting him.

"Uh... yeah?" he offered lamely, obviously confused.

"There's one back at where I used to live," I told him. "I know it seems kinda silly since it's just ramen, but I loved going there!"

"Well, then let's go!" he exclaimed, grinning. "It's not far from here!"

"Awesome!" I cheered, suddenly excited; it would be nice to taste something else familiar. "Let's get going!"

We both headed for the front door. I was slightly surprised when Haruto got there first and actually opened the door for me. So maybe his parents did teach him some manners. Or maybe Mizuki rubbed off on him. Either way, it was a nice gesture, something that hadn't happened to me in such a long time.

But before I could take another step towards the door, we were stopped.

"Where are you going?!"

We both turned around to see Kameko standing before us, arms crossed over her chest. The look she was giving both of us was full of suspicion. Haruto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. What was the problem...?

"Uh, we're just going to Hagakure," he said sheepishly. "Is that okay, _Your Highness_?"

The look of suspicion on Kameko's face transformed into utter _rage_.

"Yes it is," I said hastily, grabbing Haruto by the wrist and dragging him out of the dorm before my friend could do some serious damage to him, shutting the door behind us.

I pulled him down the stairs, and then let him go once we were at the bottom. Then I whirled around to face him, putting my hands on my hips.

"Are you purposefully _asking_ for trouble?!" I demanded. "Do you _want_ Kameko to beat you up? Is that your kind of thing or something?"

"W-What?! No!" he exclaimed hastily, his cheeks flushing. "She's just so easy to harass! And, well, it's kinda fun, haha..."

I sighed heavily and slapped my forehead. "You all are so hopeless."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Never mind that," I said, turning. "Let's just go to Hagakure already!"

Haruto sighed, and then proceeded to lead the way to the restaurant. It was a nice walk on a spring day, and I got to look around a lot and try to start memorizing locations. Eventually, we picked back up on our conversation, and Haruto was grinning and laughing again.

"Well, here we are! The Osaka Strip Mall, the only mall here in town!" he exclaimed as we entered a shopping district of sorts. "Not that many people come here anymore now that Junes built a store here a few years back. But I like coming here for the food!"

Junes, huh? It seemed like Port Tatsumi Island was the only place that didn't have one of those department stores around. I had never been to one, of course. I wondered what the big deal was. They were popping up everywhere.

"Oh, and if you like sweet stuff, there's this family run business here called Moonie's Sweets that has the _absolutely_ best desserts around here, if not everywhere," he told me with a grin. "Whatever you like, they make it, and they make it _heavenly_."

"We'll have to go sometime!" I said with a smile. "It sounds great!"

He grinned, obviously pleased by my response. We rounded a corner, and headed in our direction were two boys. Haruto stopped, so I did, and so did the boys. The one to the right, who was slightly shorter than his companion, seemed surprised to see Haruto.

"Oh, hey, Yukimura!" he called to him. "I thought you were studying with your sister today... Is this your girlfriend?"

...Again? Seriously? Did we really look like that?

Anyway, this guy had to be older than us, probably seventeen. He had neat, yet slightly shaggy light brown hair, like it was growing out of a hair cut, and startling electric blue eyes. He was actually really hot. He had to be in some sort of sport, because it looked like he had muscles under his shirt.

"Uh, yeah, I was, Senpai, and she isn't my girlfriend!" Haruto answered hastily, obviously not wanting me to get upset again. "We're just hanging out! She just transferred to Kana..."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I didn't mean to imply anything..."

The boy next to him snorted, and rolled his eyes. "There you go, always apologizing."

I took a good look at him. Like I said, he was taller than the guy Haruto called senpai. He had longish, shaggy black hair, and dark brown eyes. His skin was light brown, and that was probably his natural skin tone. He was kind of intimidating...

The first guy rolled his eyes at the other guy. "Whatever, Takeshi. Well, we'll just be going. See you later, Haruto."

And with that, the two boys walked away, leaving us alone. I turned to my friend, hoping he would tell me who those two were.

"That was Raijin Oshiro," he told me. "He's lives in my dorm. He's a senior and the captain of the Kendo Team at my school. And that other guy was his friend... Takeshi Uchida. He's... not someone you want to hang around. He's in the wrong crowd, but he still hands out with Raijin-senpai from time to time."

"Ah," I said, pursing my lips. "He seems nice. Raijin-san, I mean."

He laughed. "Yeah, he is. Some of the girls at your school are nuts about him, though. It's crazy. Anyways, let's go!"

That was a little odd, but whatever. I followed him down the sidewalk, and then he stopped right in front of a store. He turned to face the building, and gestured to it grandly.

"Here we are, Hagakure! Are you ready?"

"I was born ready!" I declared with a grin.

"All riiight!" he cheered, grinning as well. "C'mon!"

He bounded up to the door faster than I could move, and opened it for me. I went inside, and he followed. In a few minutes, we were seated at a table. I knew immediately what I was going to get—the special, large size.

"So, whatcha gonna get?" Haruto asked me.

"Oh, a large special," I told him.

His eyes widened with surprise. "Whoa, you can eat all of that?!"

"Yep," I said with a proud grin. "Though I'll have to work it off... I'll have to join a sports club soon."

I admit I loved eating, which was why I had to keep in shape. I probably would have just let myself go if I hadn't been dragged into the Persona-Shadow stuff. But if I was going to do something, I had to be fit. I wasn't about to give up eating a lot, so I had to find some form of exercise. Hopefully there was a spot open on a sports team at school. If it came down to it, Kameko probably could get me into the Basketball Club.

"You... You don't look like a bit eater," he admitted, and I swear he was sizing me up now.

I laughed, and shook my head at him. "You can't judge a book by its cover, Haruto!"

"Ha ha, yeah, sorry." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, we better order! If we take too long, Kameko might get suspicious."

Oh man, how could somebody be so freaking oblivious?

"Psh, let her be! We're friends and there's nothing she can do about it," I stated firmly.

Then, suddenly, a voice rang in my head.

_Thou art I... And I am thou._

_Thou have established a new bond._

_Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana._

What... What did that mean? It was so confusing... I really needed to find a way to get to the Velvet Room again. Igor said I would have to find my own way to get there from now on. I really needed some answers, so I would have to start looking. But how could I get to the Velvet Room...? And where could I find such an entrance...?

Haruto grinned, regaining my attention. "Yeah! You said it, Ari-tan!"

I smiled back at him.

* * *

_Monday, April 18th, 2022, Waning Gibbous Moon_

The next day came, which meant I would have to go back to school. And who was there? The Morrigan. Gosh, how could I face them again after what happened? ...Well, Kameko did, so I guess I could too. But man, it was going to be so awkward...

I ended up walking to school with both Kameko and Mizuki. It was relatively quiet between us. There wasn't much to say, after all. However, we all paused at the gate, lingering.

"...I hope no one causes trouble for you today, Arisu," Mizuki suddenly said, looking up at me, seriousness in her pale blue eyes. "If there's any problems, let me know. I might not be able to do much, but at least I can try."

"...I will," I told her, only to make her feel better; she was right. She wouldn't be able to do anything if someone caused trouble.

She seemed relieved. "Thank you. Well, I must get to class. See you both after school."

"...See ya, Mizuki," Kameko said as she headed off.

We stood in silence for a few moments. "...We should go, too," I said at last.

She nodded. "Yeah."

We both walked through the gate, and headed inside the building. I noticed a lot of people were sneaking glances at me, and the girls in black uniforms were outright glaring. I felt like I was being burned by their eyes. It was really unnerving.

"...Don't let it get to you," Kameko told me, noticing my reaction. "That's all they can do. They don't have any power."

I pursed my lips, and then nodded grimly. "Yeah..."

We headed for the classroom, and as soon as we stepped inside everyone's eyes trained on us. Seriously, again? Did they feed on anything unusual that happened? It was starting to get annoying. I ignored everyone's eyes and walked to my seat; Kameko followed suit.

I could feel a certain pair of eyes on me. I turned my head to look behind me, meeting Amaya's unnerving violet gaze. She narrowed her eyes at me, and I did the same to her. But other than that, she did nothing. What could she do, anyway, in front of all these people?

This was far from over.

I turned back around in my seat, and relaxed. We were safe for now. But once school was over... not so much.

* * *

The day seemed to drag on and on. I was relieved when the bell rang for the day, freeing us. Though that joy was short lived when I realized something bad could happen now. Crap.

However, as I stood up from my seat, someone approached me.

"Hi, Arisu-chan!" Rika Miyasaki greeted me cheerily, a smile on her face. "Say, do you want to go watch a movie or something?"

I blinked, surprised. "Sure... But isn't it Monday...?"

"Oh, yeah, well, I'm not going to Fashion Club today," she said, hesitating a little. "So we can hang out!"

...She was hiding something, wasn't she? She probably didn't want to say anything while other girls were around. Well, I wasn't going to question her. I picked up my bag, slinging it onto my shoulder.

"Well, let's go, then," I said, wondering what she was up to.

"Yay!" she cheered, clapping her hands. "This is gonna be so much fun!"

I glanced behind me to give Kameko a wave goodbye, and then headed out of the classroom with Rika. We walked out of the school, and I still noticed some of the girls in the black uniforms giving me dirty looks. That was so annoying.

Anyways, the walk to the movie theater was rather quiet. Rika seemed to want to say something; she kept on looking up at me, and then back down again. She must have been nervous about something... But what?

"Um, Arisu-chan?" she finally asked, speaking up.

I looked down at her, wondering what the problem was. "Yeah...?"

"Well... Um... The day you were absent, I overheard some girls gossiping about you in class..."

I frowned. "About what?"

"They were talking about you and Amaya-san and how you went to the club and were gone for good like everyone else..." She sighed heavily. "Just like Minori-san. But I couldn't believe it! And you're fine, right?! I was just so worried..."

"...I went to the club," I admitted with a sigh. "But I'm fine. I didn't join them. I'm not wearing their uniform, after all. But... Thanks..."

She looked relieved, and then beamed up at me. "You're really nice, Arisu-chan! I'm glad they didn't get to you! Though that's never happened before... You must be special, Arisu-chan!"

"Ahahaha..." I let out a strained laugh; if only she knew. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks."

She smiled again. "It's nothing!"

_Thou art I... And I am thou..._

_Thou have established a new bond._

_Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana._

There was that voice again... I really needed to find Igor and find out what exactly was going on.

Anyways, Rika and I went to see a movie at the theater. It was a romantic comedy, and afterwards, I suddenly felt a bit more charming. Weird. That was the second time something like that happened. What was up with that?

* * *

_Tuesday, April 19th, 2022, Waning Gibbous Moon_

School went by rather fast today. I ate lunch with Kameko and Mizuki. Nothing eventful really happened. But since today was Tuesday, that meant it was Mizuki's turn to go meet Haruto. Kameko and I decided to go along with her again. Well, more like I decided to go with her and made Kameko come with us. The walk was as uneventful as the day.

I was so used to something happening every day in Osaka, it was weird to me that it was actually peaceful. It kind of made me wonder if I was missing something.

Kameko sulked the entire walk there; did she really not like Haruto _that_ much? I honestly could not see what was wrong with him. He was perfectly normal to me. I guess I would never understand.

"Ugh, can I just go home?" Kameko whined right as we reached the gate to Kenshin. "I don't want to be here..."

I sighed. "We're going back to the dorm after this, you know. Just chill."

"It won't kill you, will it?" Mizuki asked. "I'll get him myself since you're so eager to get home."

With that, Mizuki headed in. I looked over at my friend, and gave her a dry look.

"W-What?!" she snapped defensively. "He's so annoying!"

"He is not," I said sternly.

"Well, he's annoying to me!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's such a perv!"

I sighed heavily, brushing my bangs aside a bit. I guess nothing would change her mind. We waited in silence for Mizuki to return with her brother. A few minutes later, both of them returned.

"Haruto wants to go to the amusement park," Mizuki told us, pursing her lips.

"Hell yeah I do!" he exclaimed with a grin. "I've been waiting to go there for ages now!"

"Are you serious?" Kameko groaned. "Ugh, the place is probably packed. It's only been open for a little while anyways!"

"I can't be _that_ bad," I said, and they all looked at me. "I say we go and have some fun!"

Haruto beamed at me. "That's the spirit, Ari-tan!"

"Oh, great," grumbled Kameko. "You too? Ugh."

"I don't know... if this is a good idea..." Mizuki said quietly, frowning. "Especially after what happened to that girl..."

I was silent for a moment. "...Didn't she get involved with the club?"

Mizuki blinked, startled for a moment. "Yes... You don't think it has to do with them, do you...?"

Haruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but he looked confused. "What does a club full of girls have to do with a murder?"

I looked up at Kameko, and she scowled, realizing what I was trying to say. The Witching Hour Amusement Park was holding some kind of secret. And we could only find out if we went there. I figured the safest time to go there was during the day, after school. Since that girl had been killed during the night.

"...I guess it wouldn't hurt to go," Kameko sighed, giving in. "What could it hurt?"

Haruto blinked, realizing what she just said. "Wait, what?! You don't want to go when I suggest it, but when Ari-tan agrees you suddenly want too?! What bullcrap is this?!"

"This has nothing to do with you!" snapped Kameko, glaring at him.

Haruto didn't seem convinced. "It's because it's _Ari-tan_ isn't it?" He smirked devilishly. "You got something you need to tell us, Kameko?"

What was that supposed to mean...? I didn't get it. What did I have to do with anything...?

Kameko's face flushed bright red. "S-Shut up, Haruto! It has nothing to do with her either! You wouldn't understand!"

"_Suuuure_ it does," he drawled, that impish grin still on his face. "Whatever you say, Kameko. I got you _aaaaall_ figured out."

She looked like she wanted to beat the crap out of him so much.

"Haru," sighed Mizuki, obviously exasperated with her brother.

"...So are we going or not?" I asked, breaking the rather tense moment between my two friends.

Kameko snapped out of her angered daze. "Y-Yes, we are! We should get going!"

And with that, she hurried off, in a rush to get away from Haruto and whatever the hell he was talking about. Mizuki calmly walked up to her brother, and looked up at him. He blinked at her, and opened his mouth to say something.

"You really should stop bothering Kameko-san like that," she said sternly, interrupting him. "Now, shall we go?"

"...Yeah, yeah," he sighed, before looking over at me. "C'mon, Arisu."

* * *

It took us twenty minutes to walk to the Witching Hour Amusement Park. Mizuki kind of forced Haruto to apologize to Kameko on the way. I was starting to think Haruto was scared of his sister. But what I couldn't understand was why he would be. Yeah, Mizuki was a bit intimidating from time to time, but she didn't seem... cruel. But then again, he knew his sister better than anyone else. They were twins, after all.

When we got there, I was surprised to see that there was no line. We could just walk in. The entrance was a metal gate, with a sign looming way above saying "_WITCHING HOUR AMUSEMENT PARK" _in big bold letters that seemed to be dripping blood. That was a bit... disconcerting. But my friends seemed unfazed and walked right in. I guess they were used to it?

"Ari-tan!" Haruto exclaimed, sidling back to me. "Welcome to the Witching Hour Amusement Park! Famous for its roller coaster, the Night Queen!"

...The Night Queen?! As in Nyx? The Nyx that Amaya had told me about? Who would name a roller coaster after that?! I hoped they were only trying to come up with a cool name...

"More like _infamous_," Kameko snorted. "The Night Queen is still shut down. 'Cause of how dangerous it is."

"...Dangerous?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes," sighed Mizuki. "The Night Queen has caused the most deaths on roller coasters in Japan... and probably in the world."

"They call it the Bringer of Death sometimes," Haruto added. "But it's got the wickedest ride ever! You get such a thrill!"

"You've ridden it?" I asked, surprised.

"Oh, yeah, only once," he replied. "Mom wouldn't let me get on again after that."

"She was afraid you would get hurt," Mizuki said sternly, like she was reminding her brother.

"I know, I know, Mizu!"

We rounded a corner, and there was a small shack-like building. It was closed, though. In the windows, painted in bright red, was, "OPENING SOON!" It appeared to be a new shop. The sign on top of the thatched roof read, _"Auntie Emi's Wonder Emporium"_. It was a little weird to see my mother's name as part of the name of a shop.

"I wonder what that's gonna be," I said, pointing to the shack.

"Probably just another souvenir shop," Kameko said with a shrug. "They've got a lot in here."

We walked by; I just let them lead me. I had no idea where we were going, after all. This place was new to me. I was doing my best to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I wanted to know how this amusement park was connected to the Shadows and the Daughters of Nyx.

But so far... it just looked like a normal amusement park to me.

"You wanna go on any rides, Ari-tan?" Haruto suddenly asked me, startling me a bit. "There's tons of stuff to do here!"

I looked around, mainly up towards the sky to see some of the rides that took up space upwards. I could see a Ferris wheel, a drop tower, and of course, the infamous roller coaster. The Night Queen looked intimidating all the way back here.

"Something... simple," I said, thinking for a moment, before turning to look at him straight on. "Are there bumper cars here?"

His dark blue eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! Awesome choice! Is that okay with you guys, Mizu, Kameko?"

"...I guess so," sighed Kameko.

"I won't be going in, but you can," said Mizuki. "I don't like rides like that. It's too... violent."

"Suit yourself, sis," Haruto said with a shrug. "Let's go!"

He dashed off, and I followed him. Kameko and Mizuki caught up when Haruto decided to slow down. We chatted as we walked, and I began to notice girls in black uniforms bunched together in groups scattered across the amusement park. Some of the girls would look at us when we passed them. They were probably looking at me.

The bumper car arena was rather impressive. There was a line full of kids from both Kana and Kenshin waiting for a turn. It looked like we would have to wait a while. Kameko didn't seem too pleased about this prospect.

"Are you kidding me?" she sighed heavily. "I don't want to wait this long for a stupid ride!"

"Maybe we should go somewhere else?" I offered.

"Nah, it won't take so long," Haruto said, waving us off. "They've got, like, twelve cars in there!"

"Humph," Kameko snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "It better not."

Just like Haruto said, it only took about ten minutes for our turn to come. Mizuki would wait for us while we rode the bumper cars. We were told the rules and such, and then were allowed inside. So far, I still couldn't see anything unusual about the amusement park.

"A'right ladies," Haruto said with a smirk from his red bumper car. "Beware the terror that is Haruto Yukimura!"

Kameko scoffed, and looked over at me and rolled her eyes. I laughed a little, amused by Haruto's antics. Seriously, he wasn't a bad guy. I wished Kameko would actually try to get along with him.

"You should be scared of _me_, Haruto!" I called to him, a playful grin on my lips.

He laughed. "We'll see, Ari-tan!"

We really had fun that afternoon.

* * *

_Wednesday, April 20th, 2022, Last Quarter Moon_

The next day, I walked to school with Kameko. I had an idea I wanted to run by her, though it was a bit dangerous. We both had been pretty quiet on the way. I figured she was thinking about something... Or maybe she wasn't feeling well?

We both stopped outside the gates to Kana. I turned to look up at her.

"Kameko, I have an idea," I told her.

She blinked, snapping out of her daze. "Oh... What is it?"

I looked around to make sure no one was nearby, especially one of the Daughters of Nyx. I didn't want any eavesdropping. Then I looked back up at my friend.

"We should go to Witching Hour after dark," I told her, keeping my voice down.

Her eyes widened with shock. "A-Are you crazy?! That's when that girl got killed!"

"Exactly," I said, keeping calm. "We can find out what happened to her if we go there at night. And we have our Personas to protect us! So we won't end up like her."

Kameko bit her bottom lip, and gave me a skeptical look. "I don't know, Arisu... We barely even know anything about our Personas!"

She had a point there... But I had something to say about that. "But how can we learn about them if we don't use them?" I countered, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. "We can't just let the Morrigan and the Daughters of Nyx do whatever they want!"

She sighed, knowing I was right. "Okay, okay, I understand. We'll go after dark. But there's something I have to do first before we go. It'll... help us be safer."

I assumed she was talking about getting weapons. I nodded, and gave her a smile. "That sounds like a plan! We better get to class."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

Lunchtime came rather quickly. I went outside to eat with Kameko. Mizuki was too busy to join us. That was better, really. We could talk more about our plans tonight. We needed to discuss how exactly we would go about with it.

But, of course, as we headed out to the courtyard, something had to happen.

"Arisu!"

Kameko and I both stopped right in our tracks. I slowly turned around, as did my friend next to me. Amaya, Jun, and Minori all walked up to us, Amaya leading the way. I tensed, tightening my grip on my boxed lunch. Crap, this couldn't be good.

"Amaya," I said evenly as the three girls halted in front of us.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that everyone else had stopped, too. They probably wanted to watch to see if a fight broke out. Already, rumors were spreading around school because of the tension between us. The rumors varied from a romantic refusal to the actual truth.

"What do you want?" Kameko asked crisply.

Amaya narrowed her eyes, her hands clenching into fists like she was trying to keep calm. That was a first. She always was eerily serene. Jun crossed her arms over her chest. Minori stood awkwardly, holding her hands clashed behind her back.

"I am here only to speak to Arisu," she said finally, looking over at Kameko, her violet eyes hard.

Kameko opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted.

"Kame-chan!" Minori blurted. "Please don't cause trouble!"

She blinked, startled by the small girl's outburst. Even Amaya and Jun seemed surprised. Minori flushed a bit, her cheeks tinting pink.

"I... just don't want anyone to fight," she said softly, looking down at her feet. "Please..."

An awkward silence fell. Kameko was stunned speechless. None of us really knew what to say. And students were still watching us, waiting for something to happen. I cleared my throat, shifting on my feet.

"What is it, Amaya?" I asked, trying to get back on topic.

She returned her attention to me. "I think we got off on the wrong start."

"...You don't say?" I asked, tilting my head to the side a bit. "I'm sorry, Amaya, but nothing you say will change my mind."

She frowned, her eyes narrowing a bit. "Arisu, I may have said some rather unsavory things at the time... But I do not wish to be enemies with you. We can help each other out if we work together."

"_Nothing_ you say will change my mind," I repeated.

Amaya sighed. "I see... Very well. From this point onward, then... We shall be enemies."

Jun reached out, and snagged Amaya's hand. "Let's go. We're wasting our time."

She nodded solemnly, and turned around with Jun. But the gruff girl wasn't quite done with us yet. She turned her head to look at us, her brown eyes cold as ever.

"Stay away from the amusement park," she said.

And with that, Amaya and Jun walked away, still holding hands. Minori lingered for a moment, and gave us apologetic looks.

"I'm so sorry about that..." she muttered, before rushing off after her friends.

Kameko and I stood in awkward silence.

"...We definitely have to check out the amusement park," she told me.

"...Yep," I agreed, finally relaxing. "Let's eat. I'm starved!"

* * *

Classes ended without anything else happening. But I was surprised when Kameko came over to my desk as I was gathering my things to go.

"I don't have club today," she told me as I put my bag on my shoulder. "You wanna go somewhere?"

"Sure!" I agreed. "When do you have club anyways...?"

"Oh, Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays," she answered, seeming relieved that I agreed. "Though if we have a big game coming up, we have extra practices on Saturdays. And we don't meet if there are exams coming up."

"That's how it usually goes," I said with a nod, and began to head for the door. "Where do you want to go?"

"Uh..." She paused, thinking for a moment. "Wuck? I don't go to many other places, to be honest..." She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"Wuck is fine!" I replied with a light laugh. "I guess we'll have to explore Osaka together, huh?"

"...Y-Yeah," she agreed after a moment, as we left the classroom. "I guess..."

We left the school, not saying anything along the way. I wondered if Kameko was okay. I mean, she was oddly quiet... She had been the same way leading up to the day I visited the club. Something definitely had to be on her mind.

"Here we are," I said cheerfully once we had reached Wild-Duck Burger. "Come on, let's have some fun, Kameko!"

We ordered our food and took a seat in the back of the restaurant, in a booth. I happily dug into my burger. I had worked up a major appetite today for some reason! Kameko was still oddly silent. I finished chewing my first bite, swallowed, and set the burger down.

"What's up, Kameko?" I asked her with concern.

She sighed, propping her elbow up on the table and resting her chin on her palm. "I just... don't know if I'm cut out for this."

"Cut out for what?" I inquired, confused.

"...For this Persona-Shadow business," she sighed. "I mean, we have to fight those monsters... And... I don't want to see any of my friends get hurt."

I stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

"I don't want anyone I care about to be in harm's way..."

I pursed my lips. "We have no choice, Kameko... We're the only ones who can do this."

"I know... I just... wish it didn't have to be this way." Her eyes flickered down to her untouched food before her. "I always lose my friends... some way or another..."

"Kameko..."

"I... can't lose another friend, Arisu. I'm... not strong enough. Sometimes I think I am... I get confident... but I'm not. I just... want to help everyone."

"Kameko," I said, and she finally looked at me. "You're not going to lose anyone. We're a team! We'll get through this together, okay? That's what friends are for!"

She gave me a sad smile. "Thanks... Ari."

I smiled gently. "It's nothing, Kame."

_Thou art I... And I am thou..._

_Thou have established a new bond._

_Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana._

I wasn't surprised to hear it this time. I was beginning to get used to it now. But I really was curious about what that was supposed to mean, you know? I took a drink of my soda as Kameko cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"So... Uh..." she began, trying to think of something. "What are we gonna wear to Witching Hour...?"

"Our uniforms," I said after a moment of thought. "Might as well get some more use out them, right?"

"True," she admitted, nodding. "Okay... That's all I can think of right now."

"That's fine," I said, picking up my burger again. "'Cause we're here to eat and have fun! All the serious stuff can wait until tonight!"

She laughed, finally smiling. "Yeah, you're right. Chow time!"

* * *

It was time to infiltrate the Witching Hour Amusement Park.

I finished brushing my hair—okay, it probably wasn't necessary since like no one but Kameko was going to see me but I always liked to be presentable—and set my hairbrush down on my night stand. I didn't really have anything to bring with me but my Evoker. And since Kameko didn't have one, we would have to share it. Man, I wished we grabbed the Evoker that Minori had made for her.

I picked up my Evoker off the nightstand, and examined it. It looked like a normal gun. It was nothing special. But it had different components that allowed us to summon our Personas... But I had to wonder why it had to look like a gun. What was the point of that...?

I pushed the thought out of my mind, and slipped the Evoker into the holster that Kameko had somehow managed to get a hold of. I assumed it had to do with the fact that her father was a cop. But still...

I left my bedroom, shutting the door as quietly as possible behind me so not to alert Mizuki that we were out and about. I walked slowly as well, trying not to make a sound. I felt bad for sneaking around like this, but we had no real choice.

I relaxed once I got downstairs. Kameko was waiting for me, but she was holding a something—a pole weapon with a blade on the end. I think it was a naginata. I noticed she had a small black sheath tied around her waist... holding some kind of knife.

"Here," she said, holding the naginata out to me. "This is for... just in case."

Oh. Well... It couldn't hurt. "Thanks," I said, taking the weapon from her. "What about you...?"

"I have this." She pulled what was indeed a knife out of its holster. "It's a fighting knife. I've always had it. My dad taught me how to use one for self defense."

My eyes widened. "Whoa... Impressive."

She shrugged. "I guess. Let's go and get this over with."

"First," I said, "we should decide who the leader is. It'll be easier to have a leader to make all the decisions."

"That's a no brainer," she snorted. "You, of course. You've got a more leveled head than me by far... You should be the leader, Arisu."

I had never really thought of myself as leadership material. I mean, back then, I really hadn't been. Even now, part of me thought that I still didn't deserve any sort of respect. To be honest, I was a bit flattered by Kameko's words. She was right, though. Out of the two of us, I was the better leader. If we got any new teammates of whatever our little squad was, I hopefully could be replaced with someone better suited to the job.

"All right," I said at last. "We better get moving, then! It'll be midnight in half an hour."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah..."

We left the dorm as quietly as possible. Kameko locked the door behind us, and then we headed off. I was a little nervous walking around the town at such a late hour. But we did have our weapons... and Personas. The streets were mostly deserted, though, so there was no one to see us or bother us.

Suddenly, Kameko patted me on the shoulder, and I turned my head to look up at her. She pointed towards a rather dark street that was winding down around a bend hidden by trees.

"Whatever you do, avoid that place at all costs," she warned me, her tone very serious. "That's were all the punks hang out. Y'know, the kids who do drugs and stuff. It's bad news. They get into all sorts of trouble. It's called Shirakawa Bend."

...Seriously?

I had to cover my mouth in a lame attempt to stifle a snicker. Oh gosh, she wouldn't understand. But back at Tatsumi Port Island, there was a part of town called Shirakawa Boulevard. And, well, there was a love hotel there. It was considered one of the sketchiest areas.

"What's so funny?" Kameko asked, confusion in her brown eyes.

"N-Nothing," I got out through my giggles. "Thanks for the warning."

"...Okay..."

We arrived at the gate of the Witching Hour Amusement Park only a few minutes away from midnight. The waning moon shone down on us, lighting the otherwise pitch black night. All the lights were off, giving the once vibrant park a dismal atmosphere. But it wasn't that bad. It didn't even seem dangerous.

There had to be more to this...

"Here we are," I said as we walked up to the closed gate. "It doesn't seem that bad."

"...Don't say that until we get inside," Kameko retorted as she tested the gate to see if it would open. "Nope, it's locked."

"So how are we gonna get in...?" I asked slowly.

She looked around, and pointed to a padlock. She pulled out her knife. "Might as well try this."

She stuck the tip of the blade into the keyhole, and tried turning it any which way. To much of our surprise, it actually worked. The padlock clicked open, unlocking the gate. Kameko pushed on one of the gate doors, and the padlock and chain came all the way undone, and the doors clanked open, swinging out slowly. We both stood in silence for a moment.

"...Wow, I can't believe that worked," Kameko stated, her eyes slightly wide.

I laughed lightly. "Come on, let's go. It's almost midnight!"

We walked through the gate as Kameko returned her knife to its sheath. It was dead quiet; the only sound was the crunching of our shoes on the dry earth. I was careful to hold my naginata above the ground. We looked around as we walked.

"I don't see what's so dangerous-" I began, turning to my friend.

_CLAAAAAANG!_

We both whipped around to see the gate doors slamming shut, the lock going back into place. We froze in place, staring at the freshly locked gate. How the hell did that happen?! Suddenly, the once silver light that had been shining down on us from the moon turned eerily green. I frowned, and looked up to the sky. The moon shone a haunting shade of green. The mere sight of it chilled me to the bone.

The atmosphere... was heavier. I felt... like I was in danger.

"A-Arisu... Did this place... just suddenly get... super creepy?" Kameko asked me, her voice edgy with building fear. "O-Or is it just me?"

"No..." I said slowly, looking around. "It's not just you... Something happened. Be on guard."

"R-Right," she stammered, reaching down to take out her knife. "How far are we going-"

A weird, throaty, gurgling growl sounded from behind us. We both froze again, and then I forced myself to turn around to see what it was. It was a black blob-shadowy-mass-thing with glowing red eyes. It even seemed like it was foaming at the mouth.

"W-What is it?" breathed Kameko.

The monster lunged forward towards us.

"SHADOW! RUN!" I screamed, whipping back around to push her forward and run away.

Kameko also screamed, and took after me. I heard the Shadow snarl, and glanced back behind me to see it chasing us. I was beginning to panic. I hadn't expected those monsters here! What was up with this place?!

"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!" Kameko shouted to me as we ran.

"GET AWAY FROM IT!" I yelled back.

"AAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!" she shrieked as the Shadow spat fire at us.

We entered what appeared to be the food court, and I looked around for anyplace we could hide. There was nothing that would protect us from the Shadow... I had to stop panicking; there was only one thing we could do! I skidded to a stop, and whipped back around to face our stalker. I pulled out my Evoker.

"A-Arisu, what are you _doing_?!" she screeched.

"I'm gonna take it down!" I shouted, putting the Evoker to my temple. "Personaaa!"

I pulled the trigger, and just like before, blue glass exploded out from the side of my head. My legs jerked apart to take the impact. I was surrounded by blue fog as Ishtar appeared before me. The Shadow began to slow down at the sight of my Persona.

Since this Shadow used fire, Agi probably would be useless. "Double Fangs!" I commanded.

Ishtar leaped forward, wielding her wicked crystal-tipped spear. She jabbed the spear in the Shadow a couple of times, making it snarl in pain. The monster formed claws, and slashed at my Persona, clipping her on the shoulder. I gasped, dropping my Evoker to clutch at my shoulder as pained seared through it.

Dammit, I forgot I got hurt whether Ishtar was hit by an attack.

"M-My turn!" I heard Kameko shout as she suddenly appeared by my side, snatching up the Evoker off the ground. "Enyo!"

I lowered my hand to grip my naginata, lifting it up a bit, as Kameko summoned her Persona. Enyo appeared, looking as intimating as ever. Ishtar moved back towards me, letting the other Persona leap to action.

"Bash!" she commanded, her voice resonant.

Enyo leaped into the air, and brought down her blade-like arms down on top of the Shadow's head. The monster yowled, falling down on its back. We both stood still, surprised. Did that attack have its weakness...?

"Come on!" Kameko shouted, turning to look at me with determination in her eyes.

I nodded firmly. "Let's do it!"

"Full drive!" she bellowed.

We lunged at the fallen Shadow, wielding our weapons. We proceeded to go all out on the Shadow, beating it as hard as we could before it dissolved into smoky dust. I lowered my naginata's blade to the ground, and leaned on the weapon, panting. I brushed my bangs out of my eyes, tucking them behind my ear, exhausted. I was beginning to sweat, too. My shoulder was throbbing faintly, but it felt a lot better. Ishtar and Enyo returned to our sides.

"You okay?" Kameko asked me, noticing my fatigue.

"...Yeah," I breathed, closing my eyes for a moment. "I'm just... not quite in shape."

She nodded, and looked around a bit. "I think it's this place, too. It... drains your energy quicker than normal. I'm in great shape, and even I'm winded..."

I took another deep breath, and stood up straight, lifting my naginata off the ground. Neither of us recalled our Personas. We stood in silence for a moment.

"This place must be home to Shadows," I stated, and she looked at me. "That's why that girl died. The Daughters of Nyx sent her here... and the Shadows killed her when she didn't pass her 'Encounter'... Remember what I told you?"

She nodded grimly. "Yeah... Crap, that means... This is the Shadow's nest. Our enemy has been right under our noses this whole time..."

I pursed my lips, and turned a bit. "This area seems clear of them. We should split up and look around. But don't leave the food court. Okay?"

"Gotcha," she said as Enyo took to the air. "Don't push yourself too hard, Ari..."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't, don't worry. Let's meet up in ten minutes."

"All right. See you."

We separated; I headed back towards the gate, and she went deeper inside. Ishtar followed above me, in the air. I walked all the way up to the iron gate. I tested it; it was indeed locked. I looked up towards the sky. There seemed to be some sort of barrier... It was faint, but very visible. There was a barrier that seemed to surround the park, not letting anyone leave it.

That was... very disturbing.

"Ishtar," I called, turning to my Persona. "Test the barrier. See if it can be broken."

She nodded, and soared higher into the air so that she was above the gate. Brandishing her spear, she jabbed the barrier with all her might. Sparks flew, and she was propelled backwards, somersaulting in the air until she could right herself. I could feel pain in my arms from that.

"...So we're trapped in here," I concluded, frowning. "_Great_."

I sighed heavily, turning back around as my Persona returned to my side. I looked to my left, for something blue caught my eye. There was the ticket booth. And inside the booth, up against the back wall, was a glowing blue door. I decided to go investigate.

As I stopped right in front of the booth, I noticed that the Velvet Key had somehow removed itself from my pocket, and had begun to glow. I watched in shock as it floated towards the door, going inside the booth. I followed it to see it slip inside the keyhole to the door, and unlock it. The door slowly began to open.

Was this... the entrance to the Velvet Room? Could I find Igor here?

"...Ishtar, return," I said, calling her back to me.

She disappeared back into my soul, and once again I was alone.

I stepped through the door.

Just like I had thought, I found myself in the Velvet Room. It was still a train, with the floor and seats lined with blue velvet. Vibrations could be felt underneath my feet, signaling that the train was moving, just like before. Igor was sitting in the chair at the end of the car, and James was standing dutifully by his side.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," James greeted me with yet another charming smile.

"I have been expecting you," Igor said. "There is much we have to discuss."

"Please take a seat," said James, gesturing to one of the cushion-y seats. "You will be much more comfortable that way."

I walked up to them, and sat down in the booth to the left of Igor. The seat was actually quite comfortable. I shifted to get more comfortable.

"So what do you have to tell me?" I asked.

"A great deal," replied Igor. "I am sure you have many questions. But first, you have awakened to your power. Ishtar is the one who has answered your call, I see. And you have a very special power, as I have already told you."

I nodded, remembering his words when we first met.

"You possess what is known as the Wild Card—you have the ability to possess multiple Personas," Igor began. "It is an extremely rare ability than must be bestowed upon a human that has been chosen. And in turn, you sign the contract, and I offer my services to you to aid you in your cause."

So... I was the Wild Card...? And I could have more than one Persona?! That was... shocking. I never even thought that was possible! And somehow Igor could help me with this...? It was all a bit much to take, to be honest. Why was I chosen...? Certainly there had to be someone else out there more suitable to wield this special gift. Did that mean... there was hope for me?

"Okay... So how can you help me?" I asked after those few moments of thought.

"I will fuse your Personas to create stronger ones," he informed me. "In order to create exceptional Personas, it is necessary to have Social Links—that is, your bonds with others. Your Social Links will empower your Personas, making you even more powerful. Also, after battle, choices will appear in your mind."

So _that_ was what that was! Social Links, huh? I had to form strong relationships with others... I could do that! ...Right? That couldn't be too hard... Though I had to wonder what he meant by 'choices will appear in your mind'.

"Whenever you wish to make use of the services, please speak with me," said James, and I turned my head to look at him. "And if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask."

I smiled at both of them. "Thank you. I should be going though... I don't want to leave my friend waiting."

"Very well," Igor said as I stood up. "But I do have one more thing to give you before you leave. James, if you will."

James reached into his pocket, pulling out something. It appeared to be some sort of crystal plume, though it glowed with a faint, pale turquoise light. James held the item out to me, and I took it. It felt soft to the touch, just like a feather.

"That is a Plume of Dusk," stated Igor. "It is similar to a living thing, yet different. It exists in a state between mind and matter, mass and information. It is my gift to you. If you ever fall, use it and it will save your life."

I stared at the Plume of Dusk, the meaning of what he said dawning on me. On this quest... On this mission, or whatever it may be... I could die. Any of us could die. I had known this whole time it was dangerous... But I never actually thought about death. It reminded me of something I had learned once...

_Memento mori..._ Remember your mortality. Remember you will die.

I gently closed my fingers over the Plume of Dusk. "Thank you, Igor... James."

"Take care," James said to me. "The Witching Hour Amusement Park is not forgiving."

I nodded. "I will."

"Until next time, Arisu," said Igor.

"Goodbye."

I turned around, and walked down the aisle. I opened the back door, and stepped out into the ticket booth. The cooling air was a bit shocking. I slipped the Plume of Dusk into my pocket as I left the booth.

I hoped I would never have to use it.

I spent the next few minutes searching the rest of the area. I saw nothing out of the ordinary. The front of the amusement park wasn't occupied by Shadows, it seemed. So why was that one Shadow there...? It was frustrating not knowing everything.

I met with Kameko, just as planned. She hadn't encountered any other Shadows either. I shared with her what I had discovered about the park. She wasn't pleased at all about being trapped inside. I wasn't either. How were we going to get out?

"This must be a safe zone," I concluded. "The real danger is out there... In the other sections of the park."

"...Let me guess," sighed Kameko. "You wanna investigate that too?"

"Eventually," I clarified. "But first we need to get stronger. Especially if we're going to stand up to the Morrigan."

She sighed again. "Yeah... So we're gonna start coming here?"

"Yes," I answered. "We should-"

Suddenly, the padlock on the gate undid itself, and the doors swung open. The barely visible barrier around the park disappeared. The moon returned to its familiar silvery hue, and the water once again was blue. The sky was dark, barely lit up by the waning moon. The atmosphere... felt normal again.

We both stood in silence, realizing we were free.

"It's... over..." said Kameko.

I balanced my naginata on its blade, and pulled out my cellphone. I checked the time. It was only a minute past midnight. How was that even possible?! We were in here for, like, an hour?!

"It's only a minute after midnight," I breathed, staring at the numbers on my phone's screen.

"WHAT?!" Kameko shrieked. "That's freaking impossible!"

I turned my cellphone's screen off. "The amusement park... must have its own hidden hour... that happens between two days... That's why we're trapped inside. And why everything changed... That has to be it."

Kameko let out a heavy sigh. "That's jacked up..."

I picked up my naginata, suddenly hit by a wave of exhaustion. "I'm so tired... Being here wore me out..."

"...Ditto," she muttered after a moment. "Let's go back to the dorm. I'm whooped."

* * *

_Thursday, April 21st, 2022, Last Quarter Moon_

The next day, I was still a little tired. But I figured my body still had to get acclimated to the harsh atmosphere of the amusement park. I ended up stowing my naginata in my closet, and put the Plume of Dust in the drawer to my nightstand along with my Evoker.

I walked to school with Kameko, and Mizuki. We stopped outside the gates to Kana, though Mizuki said goodbye and went straight in because she had something to attend to. Girls in black uniforms still were giving me looks, and now Kameko was a victim of their glares as well.

I wondered if they knew anything.

I turned to face Kameko, opening my mouth to say something, but what interrupted.

"Hey, Kameko!" some exclaimed from behind us.

She turned around, and so did I, to see who greeted her. Two girls approached us. The first girl, who was grinning, was only a little shorter than Kameko. She had jet black hair pulled up into a high ponytail, and piercing dark eyes. Her skin was bronze with tan; she was probably outside a lot. Her uniform was unchanged, the only real difference was shorter socks.

"Oh, hey, Torako!" Kameko greeted her, grinning. "And Makoto, too!"

The other girl was slightly shorter than the first one. Her hair was black as well, though it was down, and went to her shoulders. She wore a crimson sweater over her uniform, and that was the only thing changed.

The first girl looked at me. "Hey, you're the new transfer student, right? I'm Torako Endo! Welcome to Kankou!"

"Yes, I am," I said, giving both girls a friendly smile. "Thanks. I'm Arisu Amano."

"I'm Makoto Oono!" the other girl said, introducing herself rather cheerily. "Nice to meet ya!"

"Arisu moved into my dorm," Kameko explained. "So we've been hanging out a lot."

"Sweet," said Endo. "You have a game this Sunday, right? I wanted to make sure."

Kameko nodded. "Yeah, Sunday. It's a big one too."

"Ah, good, I can go then!" Endo seemed relieved. "I don't want to miss it, y'know? Oh!" She turned to me. "Are you interested in joining any sports clubs?"

I blinked, a bit startled. "Um, yeah, actually."

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, pleased. "I would invite you to the Jump Team, but we have no more spots... But the Volleyball Club is open to new members starting next week."

"Yeah, they could use some new members," Oono sighed. "All the good players graduated last year. They're pretty lame now. Except for Youko!"

Torako nodded grimly in agreement. "Definitely. So, Amano, if you're interested, check it out sometime next week! A'right, we gotta go. C'mon, Makoto!"

"See ya, Kame-chi! Amano!" Oono exclaimed, waving to us as she and Endo headed into the school.

I turned to my friend once they were gone. "Who were they...?"

"Oh, like they said, that's Torako Endo and Makoto Oono. They're both on the Jump Team. Torako's the captain. She's called the 'Tiger of the Field' because she's serious about sports and gets really fierce if you break the rules and stuff. But she's pretty cool. She's a third year. Makoto's a sophomore, but she's pretty good at what she does. She's so good she got on the team when she was still in her third year of middle school. Torako got her in."

Whoa. That was pretty impressive. "So they're your friends...?" I guessed.

She nodded. "Yeah. I have a lot of acquaintances because of sports, and I'm admired because of basketball... But outside of that, everyone's kinda scared of me. My only real friends are you, Mizuki, Torako, and Makoto..."

"It's okay not to have many friends," I told her. "Not everyone deserves your friendship. If they don't like you for who you are, forget 'em."

She laughed, and smile. "Yeah... You're right. Thanks, Ari."

I grinned. "No problem. Now we better get to class now or we'll be late. And then there'll be another scandal."

She laughed again. "We can't have that, can we? Let's get going!"

* * *

Sister Chiharu was our history teacher. She was a withered old woman with white hair and wrinkled face. And to be honest, she was pretty scary looking. She didn't give us much time to take notes either. It was pretty frustrating.

I started to get sleepy as the lesson went on. I tried to stay awake at first, but eventually I gave up. I deserved a nap after the ordeal last night. So I fell asleep, and had a nice little nap before the bell rang. When I woke up, I felt absolutely refreshed. All my fatigue was gone.

I missed out on the lesson, though... Oh well.

* * *

I gathered my things to leave once the day was over. Kameko said goodbye before heading off to her club meeting. I saw Rika still standing at her seat. She saw me, and waved. I decided to go talk to her.

"Hi Arisu-chan!" she chirped once I reached her. "I'm free today! Say, do you wanna go somewhere? I don't wanna go straight home."

"Sure," I agreed.

"Yay!" she cheered, clasping her hands together. "Let's go to the mall today!"

I let her lead me to the Osaka Strip Mall, which was bustling with activity. Though Witching Hour and Junes had to be way busier. I recognized a lot of the girls from school. Some of them were walking with boys who probably went to Kenshin.

"Let me educate you!" Rika exclaimed, raising a finger. "Y'see, we have names for Kana and Kenshin! To separate the divisions!"

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

She nodded, her pigtails bobbing. "Yup! We call Kana's high school division Kankou for short! And Kenshin is called Kenkou! Got it?"

That explained why Endo said 'Kankou' instead of 'Kana Academy' this morning. "Got it!"

She beamed. "Good! I don't want you to get confused, Arisu-chan!"

"Thanks," I said.

Rika looked around, and spotted an ice cream cart. "Ooooh! Let's get some ice cream! What do you want?!"

"Oh, chocolate!" I exclaimed.

"Okay! Be right back!" She dashed off towards the cart, leaving me behind. Moments later, she returned with two ice cream cones—one chocolate, the other vanilla. She gave me the former, and then happily gave the latter a lick.

"Yum! It's sooooo good!" she gushed, her eyes bright. "I love vanilla ice cream!"

We walked along in silence as we ate our ice cream. It was nice just hanging around Rika. She was really sweet. She would definitely be a great friend. And I wondered if this affected our Social Link...?

"Soooo, Arisu-chan," Rika drawled out, looking up at me with a mischievous look in her light brown eyes. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

I started a bit, taken by surprise. That was a bit sudden. "Uh... Yes, I have."

Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, really?! Do you have one now?!"

"...No."

"Aw..." She pouted. "Well, I haven't had a boyfriend yet. But I really, really want one! But, like... it's so hard talking to guys... For me, anyways. I guess what I'm trying to say is... do you have any advice?"

I blinked, startled. She trusted me enough to ask me for advice? We had barely even met. Rika was really trusting, wasn't she? That wasn't always a good thing...

How was I supposed to answer that question...? Several options popped up in my mind.

___—"_Play hard to get!"

___—_"Just be yourself! Don't pretend to be something you're not."

___—_"Don't bother. No one would want you."

___—_"You don't need a boyfriend!"

What to choose... This was really important.

"Just be yourself!" I told her. "Don't pretend to be something you're not. That way you'll find someone good."

"Oh! Yeah!" she exclaimed. "That's good! Thanks, Arisu-chan! You're really wise!"

I let out a light laugh. "It's nothing, Rika. I just... have experience."

A lot of experience...

She giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand. "That makes you wise! Thanks so much!"

I just hoped her easily trusting nature wouldn't get her in trouble... Someone could easily take advantage of her.

* * *

_Friday, April 22nd, 2022, Last Quarter Moon_

Nothing eventful happened in school today. Since I had nothing to do at school, I went to Wild-Duck Burger alone. I felt more courageous after I tried their new burger. It was actually pretty good.

I did some of my homework as I waited for midnight to come around. Kameko and I had decided to return to the amusement park today. I geared up, getting my Evoker and naginata. I made sure I put the Plume of Dusk in my pocket. Just in case.

We headed to Witching Hour, and that there a couple minutes before midnight. We headed for the gate, and Kameko took out her knife to pick the lock again. But, to much of our surprise, the padlock was already unlocked and the gate doors slightly ajar.

"...Someone's inside," I stated, my eyes wide.

"Crap," breathed Kameko. "Do you think it's a Daughter of Nyx?"

"Probably," I answered grimly. "They probably sent a newbie to go through her Encounter."

"We have to do something!" Kameko insisted, looking down at me. "We have to stop her, whoever she is!"

I nodded. "Of course! We have to hurry!"

Kameko pushed the gate open, and we dashed inside. I held my naginata so it was ready to use. Kameko and I reached the center of the front court as the doors slammed shut and we were locked inside, everything transforming around us.

"Dammit," Kameko growled, tightening her grip on her fighting knife. "We don't have much time! Where do you think she'd be?!"

"I have no idea... But we have to look! Come on!"

I ran forward, looking everywhere. Kameko hastily followed. We passed the kiddie park section, and the literal park across from it. Now in the center of the park, we were in the food court. I screeched to a halt as a Shadow seemed to leap out of nowhere at me.

"Aaah!" I cried, quickly slashing at the monster with my naginata, pushing it back.

"Give me the Evoker!" Kameko exclaimed.

I pulled the Evoker out of the holster around my waist, and tossed it to Kameko. She quickly put it to her head and summoned Enyo.

"Cleave!" she commanded.

Enyo leaped to action, slashing at the Shadow with her sword-like arms. She returned to hover above her master, but the Shadow was still going strong.

"It's still alive?!" cried Kameko.

"Evoker!" I shouted, and she threw it back to me. I put it to my head. "Persona!"

Ishtar appeared before me, ready for battle. "Agi!" I ordered.

She held out her hand, and flames shot out, hitting the Shadow. It hissed, and burst into dusky dust. The battle was over. I relaxed, only to have images of cards appear in my head. I blinked, shocked; this must have been what Igor had been talking about.

One of them was a Persona; I decided on that card. Her name was Apsaras.

"We have to hurry!" I exclaimed, and Kameko nodded.

We started off again. We ended up battling more Shadows the deeper we went in. I was starting to get tired, and we still hadn't found that girl. I was starting to get worried that we were too late. We were running out of time.

And then we heard a bloodcurdling scream.

We exchanged horrified looks, and then bolted towards the sound.

The girl was right in front of the roller coaster, surrounded by Shadows. She was about our age, and was already battered and bloodied. She was panicked, and the Shadows were clawing at her, and she was pressed up against the gate that locked up the roller coaster. Then she saw us.

"HELP MEEEE!" she screamed, sounding desperate and frantic.

"Ishtar!" I shouted. "Double Fangs!"

My Persona leaped towards the crowding Shadows. One turned around, and took the attack. A couple more Shadows left the swarm to attack us. One of them was super fast, and hit me hard across the chest, knocking me down. Pain shot through my torso, and I gasped for air, having had it knocked out of me.

"Arisu!" I heard Kameko cry. "Enyo, quick! Bash!"

The silver Persona appeared, slamming her legs down on the Shadow before it could leap on me. It was destroyed. I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my chest when I moved. I heard the girl scream again.

There were just... too many of them. We weren't... strong enough.

"OH PLEASE HELP ME! HELP ME!"

I pushed myself up onto my feet, biting my tongue to hold back any sounds caused by the pain. I called Ishtar back, and took out the Evoker, putting it to my temple. I pulled the trigger.

"Apsaras!" I called. "Bufu!"

The blue Persona lifted her hand high into the air, and ice formed on the Shadow in front of me. I apparently had its weakness, because it died. And that seemed to give me another turn.

"Bufu again!" I exclaimed, and she eliminated another Shadow.

There still was too many...

"Arisu?! You have more than one Persona?!"

I turned to see a very shocked Kameko. "Now's not the time! I'll explain later!"

But just then, the girl's frantic sobbing was replaced by one last earsplitting scream. And then silence. Kameko and I froze. We slowly turned back to face the mass of Shadows. They backed away, moving towards us.

I saw the girl... And she was... she was... covered in blood... unmoving.

She was... S-She was...

We were too late.

And then I realized the Shadows were now after us.

For the first time, in a long time, I was truly frightened.

But then midnight passed. The moon transformed back to its normal form, and everything returned to normal. I heard the far off sound of the gates unlocking and clanging open. And the Shadows disappeared, leaving us with the body of the girl.

My knees gave way and I fell down on them. The naginata slipped from my hands. I silently called back Apsaras. I was shaking. I could not stop shaking.

"K-Kameko... Call your dad..." I got out, my voice trembling.

"...R-Right..."

* * *

We were sitting on the back of an ambulance. A nurse had already checked us and tended to what injuries we had. Now, Kameko's father, Isao Matsuda, was standing before us, wanting to know why the hell we were even in the amusement park and what happened.

"...You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Kameko said.

"Try me," her father deadpanned.

Isao Matsuda was a tall man, about six foot. He had neatly cut black hair that was starting to gray, and brown eyes. He was wearing a suit. He had to be in his early forties. He was pretty intimidating, I had to admit.

"Would you... believe us... if we said... monsters did this?" I asked slowly.

Matsuda narrowed his eyes. "What kind of monsters...?"

Kameko gave me a _"What are you doing?!"_ look. But I didn't want to lie to a cop. And it would make me feel better if an adult knew about this whole thing.

"...Shadows."

His eyes widened, and then his expression returned to normal. "I see."

Kameko's eyes grew wide. "You believe her?!"

"...Yes."

Just then, someone else said, "Why don't I take over, Detective Matsuda?"

We all turned to see a woman. She was short, with long, straight blue hair that went down to the small of her back, and a dark blue cap rested on her head. Calm gray eyes looked at us evenly. She was wearing a dark blue coat and matching pants.

Matsuda once again looked surprised, but he relented. "Very well, Detective Shirogane. I thought you were taking a hiatus."

"I was," she said, nodding. "But a cold case has caught my attention, along with what has happened today."

"I see," said Matsuda. "Well, they're all yours." He looked at his daughter. "Kameko, we will talk later." And then he walked away.

The woman turned her attention to us. "My name is Naoto Shirogane. I believe you said something about Shadows...?"

* * *

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE**

**This is my gift to you!**


	4. IV: Secret Agent Man

**PERSONA: ULTRAVIOLET**

**Chapter IV: Secret Agent Man**

* * *

_Saturday, April 23rd, 2022, Last Quarter Moon_

...Naoto Shirogane?

As in _the_ Naoto Shirogane? The famous detective? The detective that had been solving cases since she was a child? Who had been called the Detective Prince because everyone thought she was a boy? I was really meeting her?!

"...Yeah," Kameko said slowly, a little wary. "Shadows."

I remembered back when I was young, I would watch _Magical Detective Loveline_. Mysteries fascinated me, and I admired the people who could solve them. When it came out that the Detective Prince was actually female, I had somehow become convinced in my young mind that she was like the real life Loveline. That was ridiculous, of course. But as a little girl, it made me hopeful to see someone young and female doing something important, when everywhere I went it always seemed like it was only adult males.

So I guess you could say, when I was little, before I... changed... Naoto Shirogane was my role model. It was such an honor to meet her, I didn't even know what to say. It was rude to just stare, but I couldn't find my voice.

"This is not the place to discuss such things," said Naoto-san, looking serious. "I believe it would be best to go to the station. But first, may I know your names?"

"I'm Kameko Matsuda," my friend said, before continuing when she realized I was incapable of speaking. "And this is Arisu Amano."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," said Naoto-san. "You must be Matsuda's daughter, yes?"

"Ahahaha... Yeah, that's me," Kameko answered, smiling sheepishly.

"I assumed so after what he said to you," Naoto-san replied evenly. "Shall we go?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, suddenly finding my voice. "Um... I apologize for not saying anything, Shirogane-san."

"...It's fine," she told me, turning around.

Kameko and I got down from the back of the ambulence; we already had the okay to leave. Naoto-san led the way towards where Kameko's dad was talking with some associates of his. Matsuda's attention shifted to us as we all stopped before him.

"I would like to ask the girls some questions," Naoto-san informed him. "And the best place for that would be the station. I would also like you to be present, Matsuda."

Kameko's dad nodded. "Very well. Do you have means of transportation or do we need to provide it?"

"I have my own vehicle," she answered, before turning to look at us. "I will see you at the station."

And with that, Naoto-san left us, walking towards the gate, where I saw a car waiting outside. I assumed that was hers. We stood in silence for a moment, and then returned our attention to Detective Matsuda.

"You two will be coming with me," he said, giving his daughter a stern look. "Let's go."

He said a few more things to the other cops, and then led us away. Kameko suddenly became really nervous. Her dad did seem to be upset about this whole thing. He took us to a black automobile; I was relieved it wasn't a police car. Matsuda pointed his daughter to the shotgun seat, and Kameko reluctantly got in there. I got in the back. We took off moments later.

At first, it was eerily silent. I could feel the tension between father and daughter. Kameko was pointedly looking out the window, avoiding looking at her father. I felt pretty awkward, having to witness this.

"Kameko," he said, and she begrudingly turned her head to look at him. "Just answer me this. Why were you in the amusement park?"

She didn't respond right away, returning to looking out the window. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Dad."

He didn't seem convinced. "You mentioned Shadows. Do you realize what this means? If there are Shadows in the amusement park, something sinister is going on."

"Excuse me, Matsuda, sir," I piped up, not wanting my friend to get chewed out. "But... A Shadow killed that girl. We tried to save her, but we weren't strong enough..."

He was quiet for a moment. "What are you saying, Amano?"

I pursed my lips. "Do you know about Shadows...? And... Personas?"

Again, he was silent. "...Yes, I do."

Kameko gasped, jerking away from the window. "Are you serious?!"

Matsuda kept his eyes on the rode. "Your mother was a Persona-user. That's how I found out about everything. But I'm only a detective; I can't really do anything but assist those that fight Shadows."

"What?!" Kameko shrieked, her voice cracking up an octave. "Mom... was a Persona-user?!"

"Yes, she was. She did her best to deal with wandering Shadows during the Dark Hour," he stated. "Though all of the real action happen on Tatsumi Port Island."

I gasped. "Tatsumi Port Island?! That's where I'm from!"

All this time... Persona-users and Shadows... were in Port Island? This was all so much to take!

"...How do you two know so much?" he inquired suspiciously.

"We're Persona-users," I answered, regaining my composure. "We were in the amusement park fighting Shadows when we found that girl. We couldn't stop them from killing her..." I paused, taking a deep breath to calm myself. "Matsuda, sir, something serious is going down in Osaka. I have no idea what it is, but if we're to stop it... Kameko and I will need a lot more help. We can't do this alone, sir."

Matsuda was silent for several minutes, probably absorbing all of this in. "I see... Well, I will have to contact the Shadow Operatives to inform them of the turn of events. They will know what to do. Hopefully you kids won't have to do anything."

"The Shadow Operatives...?" Kameko asked in confusion. "Who are they?"

The car pulled into the parking lot of the police station. We drove into a space, and the vehicle parked. Matsuda shut off the engine, and then turned to look at his daughter.

"The Shadow Operatives are an secretly organized group of Persona-users that deal with Shadow activity throughout the world," he replied evenly. "It is provided for by the Kirijo Group. I don't know much about them, but I help inform them of any Shadow activity in this area."

Whoa... So there was a group of Persona-users out there already fighting Shadows?! That was a relief. I knew there had to be more Shadows out there than just the ones in the Witching Hour Amusement Park. Though that seemed to be where they were being born now... But still, I wanted to find out everything. I wanted the truth. How where the Daughters of Nyx connected into all of this...? I wanted it all to come together, to make sense.

"Let's go," he continued, taking the key out of the ignition, and opening the door, getting out of the car.

I followed suit, as did Kameko. It was pretty early in the morning, like seven a.m.. We had been at the amusement park for hours. I was becoming exhausted; we had only been able to take a short nap during the long wait. And after all the intense battles, I was going to be really drained. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep. But this was very important.

Matsuda led us into the precinct, and took us through the building to one of the interrogation rooms. He told us to sit down, and make ourselves comfortable.

"I will have to call your parents, Amano," he told me. "What is the quickest way to contact them?"

...Great. Just great. My parents would find out I broke into an amusement park and nearly got myself killed. They would be _oh_ so happy finding that out. I was so screwed. So much for never getting in trouble in Osaka.

I told him the home phone number, and then he left us alone to go make the call. I ran a hand through my hair. I could just imagine what they were going to say to me. More like they would scream it. They would be so done with me after this...

"I'm so screwed," I groaned.

Kameko sighed heavily. "You too, huh? My dad's gonna chew me out after this... I can just feel it."

"...Even though he knows the truth?"

"It'll probably be something about being reckless and not thinking things through..."

Oh. Well, we both knew what we were getting into... Or did we...?

We sat in silence. There was nothing else to say.

A few moments later, the door opened, and in stepped Naoto Shirogane. Matsuda was with her. I sat up straight, while Kameko remained leaning on the table.

"Please, make yourself at home, Detective," Matsuda said to Naoto-san, gesturing to a chair. "We're going to be here for a while."

"Thank you, Matsuda," she said, moving to the chair at the end of the table, to my right.

Matsuda sat down in the chair at the other end, to my left, as Naoto-san carefully removed her coat, hanging it gently on the chair. She was wearing a white blouse underneath, tucked into her dark blue pants. I noticed she seemed a little pudgy in the stomach. That was a little odd to me. Well, she _was_ human. It was perfectly okay to be like that. I hated seeing people picked on because they were overweight.

Naoto-san seemed a bit fatigued as she sat down, and I noticed her cheeks were faintly tinted pink. Well, she wasn't the only one who was tired. I felt like I could pass out any minute now. Kameko didn't look like she was fairing any better.

"Before we begin," she said, folding her arms in front of her on the table, "is there any chance I could get a glass of water?"

Just then, before anyone could reply, the door opened, and a young man burst in, looking quite anxious. He was of average height, a little shorter than Kameko, and had messy black hair and wide gray eyes. He was dressed in a black suit with a red tie. He was probably twenty-five or so.

"So sorry I'm late!" he exclaimed frantically. "It won't happen again, I swear!" Then he noticed Kameko and me, along with Naoto-san. His eyes widened. "Whoa! It's the Detective Prince!"

Matsuda sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Ohara, go get Ms. Shirogane a glass of water."

"Y-Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" And with that, he hurried out of the room, leaving us in silence.

"...Ohara hasn't changed at all," commented Kameko.

Her father let out a tired chuckle. "Sadly, you're correct." He turned his attention to Naoto-san. "I apologize for my partner's outburst."

"...It's fine," said Naoto-san after a moment. "It has been a while since I have heard myself called that..."

Seconds later, Ohara returned with a plastic cup of water, and handed it to Naoto-san. However, he was so nervous some of the water sloshed out of the cup in the process, spilling onto her blouse.

"Aaah! I'm so so sorry!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Uh, do you want a napkin? Or something?! I'm really really sorry-"

"Ohara," snapped Matsuda. "Sit down."

"R-Right, sir!" he exclaimed hastily before going to the chair next to Kameko and plopping down. "Sorry, sir!"

"Stop calling me that," Matsuda ordered.

"Y-Yes, sir! Sorry, sir! I won't do it again, sir—oh, never mind."

Kameko slapped her forehead. Matsuda looked like he wanted to do the same thing, but he refrained. Naoto-san quietly took a hankerchief out of her pocket, and dabbed at the water spot on her shirt. We all stayed silent for a moment.

Matsuda cleared his throat before speaking, catching everyone's attention. "This morning, a sixteen-year-old girl was found dead in the Witching Hour Amusement Park, and the only ones around where two other girls the same age—Kameko Matsuda and Arisu Amano. Though they had weapons on them, it was obvious that none of the items had been used in the murder. And these girls claim that the murderers of the girl were... Shadows."

Ohara's eyes widened, while Naoto-san's expression stayed calm. She already knew this. So Matsuda's partner knew about Shadows, too?

"Shadows?" he breathed. "In Osaka?"

"Apparently," said Matsuda, nodding. "The wounds inflicted on the victim are reminiscent of the injuries on a girl the same age who was murdered last year, a case that has never been solved."

"That is the case that caught my attention," Naoto-san put in. "I had asked for the files of some unsolved cases, as you should remember, in several different regions in Japan. What caught my attention, however, was the number of cold cases here in Osaka."

"Please continue," said Matsuda, listening attently.

"The girl murdered last year—Aimi Harada—is not the only one," she continued after taking a sip of her water and setting the cup down on the table. "The whole amusement park has been plagued with death since it was shut down, and even before that. Many of the deaths have been put down as accidents—children being foolish. Why has no one taken this into consideration?"

"I have tried to push that the deaths were not accidents... But, of course, they did not believe me," Matsuda answered. "No one wants to believe that there's a serial killer in Osaka. It would be too similar to the incident in Inaba eleven years ago. You worked on tha case, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," she replied after a moment, pondering something. "But in this situation, we now have proof—witnesses, even—that this is not a serial killer. We are dealing with Shadows here."

"Shirogane-san," I piped up, and she looked over at me. "How do you know about Shadows, if you don't mind me asking?"

She was silent for a moment. "I am a Persona-user, just like you, as Matsuda has informed me."

Kameko and I gasped in shock. Ohara was even surprised. Naoto Shirogane, my childhood idol, was a Persona-user?! So really, my imagination hadn't been too far off?! She must have been fighting Shadows during one of her investigations! That was so cool!

"The case in Inaba had to do with Personas," she continued. "There was something called the Midnight Channel, and if you appeared on it, you would die. I, along with my husband and most of my friends, appeared on the Midnight Channel. We were mysteriously kidnapped and put into the TV World... There, we had to face our Shadow Self, and accept the truth about ourselves in order to obtain our Personas. We opposed the enemy, and defeated the murderer of Inaba, Adachi Toru."

I stared in awe at Naoto-san. All of that was amazing! So she was a hero along with her friends... and husband? I didn't know she was married. But then again, she kept her maiden name. They used their Personas to save everyone! I... wanted to be a hero like that. I wanted to stop this, whatever it was. I didn't want the world to end.

"However, I believe this situation is entirely different from what happened in Inaba," Naoto-san stated, pausing to take a drink. "It seems... darker. More sinister. Every single one of the victims has been a teenage girl. And it all started last year."

Kameko's eyes widened. "Wait a sec! That's when Mochizuki moved here!"

"Who exactly?" asked Matsuda.

"Amaya Mochizuki," I said with disgust. "She's the leader of the Daughters of Nyx, a cult at our school in disguise as a club. There are two other leaders—Jun Fukushima and Minori Yanagi—but Amaya has the most power."

"Are they Persona-users?" Naoto-san inquired.

"Nope," answered Kameko. "They call themselves 'Shadow-users'. What was it that Mochizuki told you, Arisu...?"

"When Minori Yanagi senses the potential inside a student, they convince—more like force—her to attend their 'convert day'. Then they send her to spend overnight in the amusement park to have her 'Encounter' to meet her Shadow. If she survives and gains her Shadow, she becomes brainwashed and completely devoted to the club. Those that don't have Shadows just become minions, I guess," I told them.

"Whoa!" Ohara cried. "That's crazy!"

"You said it, Daichi," sighed Kameko. "They tried to get Arisu to join because apparently her power is pretty strong. They weren't quite sure what a Persona was, but there's something else to Arisu's ability that made them want her desperately."

"But, as you can see, I didn't join them," I said.

"Hmm... How intriguing," mused Naoto-san. "Do you know what it is that makes you so special, Amano?"

I hesitated for a moment. Well, Naoto-san was a fellow Persona-user, and was much more experienced. Maybe... she could help us?

"I have... the Wild Card," I confided at last. "I have the ability to possess multiple Personas."

Naoto-san's gray eyes widened, and Kameko gasped. Matsuda frowned, and Ohara started in surprise. I felt... a little out of place now, with those reactions.

"So... you are like Yu, then," said Naoto-san, coming to some sort of conclusion. "And... _him_."

"Yu...?" I asked slowly, frowning. "Him...?"

She took another drink of water, and closed her eyes, grimacing a bit. "Forgive me, I have been feeling a bit nauseous lately." She reopened her eyes, looking straight at me. "Yu Narukami, a good friend of mine, possesses the same ability as you. As did... Minato Arisato. There are two others as well who have this rare ability that we know of: Minako Sanada and Aigis."

Minato... Arisato?! As in the boy Amaya told me about?!

"May I know more about them...?" I asked slowly. "That is, if you feel well enough, Shirogane-san."

"I am fine, thank you," she insisted, shifting in her seat a little. "Yu led my husband, friends, and me in our mission to solve the case in Inaba. His Wild Card ability allowed us to conquer a lot more in battle than would have been possible without it." She paused, looking like she wasn't quite fond of the topic she was about to discuss next. "The Arisatos—Minato and Minako—were twins who both possessed the Wild Card. They are considered the most powerful of all who hold the ability. When Minato died, his power was transfered over to Aigis, an Anti-Shadow Supression Weapon. Minako is still alive, and is married, hence the different surname I gave her the first time I mentioned her. Their story is not mine to tell..."

Minato Arisato... Minako Sanada... Yu Narukami... Aigis... They were all like me. Were they all guests in the Velvet Room...?

What was an Anti-Shadow Supression Weapon anyways...?

"That's okay," I said at last. "Thank you for telling me all of that, Shirogane-san."

"Now, you mentioned... Nyx?" she asked me. "Do you know who Nyx is?"

"No, we have no idea who Nyx is," said Kameko. "Just that the cult is obsessed with her and stuff. They're trying to bring her back or something."

"They... want to... call down _Nyx_?!" Naoto-san gasped, absolutely astounded. "If Nyx comes down... the world will end."

"What?!" I gasped. "For real?! Amaya mentioned something like that, but I wasn't sure!"

"That is what the Arisatos and their friends—SEES—were fighting against," she said grimly. "This situation is graver than I expected."

"I will contact the Shadow Operatives immediately," said Matsuda, standing up from his chair. "Ohara, come with me."

"Okay!" the young man exclaimed.

"Try to directly contact Mitsuru Kirijo," said Naoto-san. "She will know exactly what to do, especially as a former member of SEES."

Mitsuru Kirijo, the CEO of the Kirijo Group, was a member of SEES and the leader of the Shadow Operatives?! The world was getting smaller and smaller...

Matsuda nodded. "Agreed."

He and Ohara left, leaving Kameko and me alone with Naoto-san. She pushed back her chair, and stood up. Kameko and I decided to do the same. She put her coat back on, buttoning it up, and adjusted her cap on top of her head.

"I'm sure you would like to go back to your dorm," she said as we approached her. "Once Matsuda gives the okay, I can take you back there."

Whoa, did _Naoto Shirogane_ just offer to give us a ride?! I still couldn't believe half of this was happening! But I was going to get the chance to ride in the same vehicle as Naoto-san... Not any vehicle either; her very own car.

Okay, I really needed to get a grip on myself. Naoto-san was human, just like the rest of us. She wasn't perfect, just like the rest of us. I needed to treat her like a human being, not like some all powerful superhuman or something.

"Thank you, Shirogane-san," I said appreciatingly.

"I would also like to talk to you further," she continued, turning towards the door. "I would like to survey your school, and investigate the amusment park where all this happened. Of course, I would like you to show me around both these places."

"We can do that!" Kameko agreed. "Right, Arisu?"

"Yeah," I answered with a nod and a smile. "We'll help any way we can!"

"Good," said Naoto-san, obviously pleased. "But right now we need to get you back to your dorm so you can rest."

* * *

Detective Matsuda returned my Evoker and naginata to me, and Kameko's fighting knife to her. He advised me to call my parents as soon as I got home. Naoto-san told us she would see to our safe return to the dorm, and then we left the building with her. She led us to a black sedan that had, much to my surprise, its own driver. The driver got out and opened the door for us. Naoto-san got in first, and we followed her. I ended up sitting between her and Kameko.

"Ms. Shirogane, your husband has been calling," the driver informed her as we got buckled in. "I have been keeping tabs on your cellphone as you requested."

Naoto-san sighed. "Did he say if it was urgent?"

"No, but I believe it would be best if you called him and let him know everything is okay."

"Very well. Hand me my phone, please."

Naoto-san reached forward as the driver handed her back her cellphone. Barely had she sat back in her seat when the phone began to vibrate violently. The look on her face clearly read, "Are you serious?" She sighed, and answered the call.

"Kanji, what is it?"

So her husband's name was Kanji...?

Naoto-san stayed silent as I heard a muffled voice speak from the other end of the phone. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, responding to her caller. "I just am a bit tired, and I had a nausous spell a few minutes ago." Pause. "No, I'm not pushing myself. I can take care of myself, Kanji." Another pause. "No, you don't have to come down here! I'm fine, really."

Her husband must have been really worried about her. But why? If she was feeling ill, she should have just stayed home...

There was more speaking on the other end. "...Don't you trust me, Kanji?" she asked, sounding solemn. There was more talking on the other end, and a small smile formed on her lips. "I promise you I'll be safe. After all, I have two Persona-users here to help me." The man on the other end sounded surprised this time. "Yes, Shadows have appeared once again. I will update you more later tonight. Is that fine?"

So... She really was going to help us? That was so cool!

Naoto-san's smile widened. "Splendid! I'll talk to you later tonight. ...Yes, I'll be careful; how many times do I have to tell you? And Kanji... Please don't call me every hour. Everything is fine, I promise." She paused, and there was more talking on the other end. "I love you, too. Bye." And with that, she hung up.

Naoto-san turned to us, and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "...I apologize for that. My husband, Kanji, is quite worried about me."

"Why?" asked Kameko, frowning a bit. "I-I mean, if you don't mind me asking, Ms. Shirogane!"

She chuckled, amused. "It's quite all right. I suppose you should know since we will be working together..." Her free hand flicked down to press on her stomach. "I'm... pregnant."

Kameko and I both froze, and stared at her. I knew my eyes grew wide with shock. Naoto Shirogane, my childhood idol, was pregnant?! She was going to have a baby?! Holy crap! That was really startling!

"B-But... you don't look it!" Kameko sputtered in shock.

Naoto-san let out a strained laugh. "Well, of course not. It's only been three months. However, you should have noticed something while I had my coat off at the station."

Oh...! Yeah! So she wasn't getting belly fat; she was _pregnant_. Well, that explained things. I looked back at my friend.

"Oh.. Well, I don't know much about these things," she said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry..."

"It's fine," Naoto-san reassured her. "But now, I would like to discuss the best time for me to visit your school and the amusement park..."

* * *

The sedan pulled up in front of the dorm at around nine. Right as Kameko and I were getting out, the front door burst open, and Mizuki came out. I was slightly surprised to see her here, considering that it was a school day. But she wasn't alone either; Haruto followed her outside.

"Kameko! Arisu!" she called, running up to us. "Thank goodness you're safe! You weren't in your rooms... And I saw on TV-"

"Mizu, calm down," Haruto said gently as he reached us. "They're okay! What did I tell ya?!" He turned his attention to us. "But jeez, you guys! You got Mizu so worried she decided to skip school and drag me into ditching as well! Not that I mind, but still!"

"_Me_ worried?" Mizuki snorted, looking up at her brother. "You were the one pacing back and forth!"

"I-I was not!" he exclaimed, his cheeks flushing. "Shut up, Mizu!"

"Ahahaha, guys..." I winced slightly. "It's good to see you too."

"I'm so tired," sighed Kameko.

I heard footsteps behind me, so I turned to see Naoto-san joining us. Mizuki and Haruto both started, their eyes widening at the sight of the famous detective.

"Are these your friends?" she asked Kameko and me.

"Yes," I said, and decided to introduce them. "This is Mizuki and Haruto Yukimura; they're twins." I paused. "Mizuki, Haruto, this is Naoto Shirogane."

While her brother continued to gawk, Mizuki bowed politely. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Ms. Shirogane."

"Uh... Yeah! What she said!" Haruto said hastily, nervous. "Um, Ms. Shirogane."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Naoto-san. "But now I must bid you farewell. I will see you both on Monday, Arisu, Kameko. Until then, goodbye."

"See you then, Naoto-san!" I replied as she turned to go.

"Bye," said Kameko, looking like she was pretty tired.

And with that, Naoto-san headed back to the car. With a wave, she climbed back in, and shut the door. Moments later, the sedan drove away. I turned back to face my friends, and we all stood in silence for a couple moments.

"You're... on a first name basis... witht the _Detective Prince_?!" burst out Haruto, his dark blue eyes wide with shock. "And why do you have weapons?!

"...Um, yeah," I said sheepishly. "It's... a long story."

"You must be tired," said Mizuki. "You should come inside and get some sleep. You can tell us everything later when you're feeling better."

"That's what I'm talking about," groaned Kameko. "I'm so beat... I feel like I can sleep for a freaking month."

And with that, we all headed inside. Kameko and I went to our respective rooms and crashed, exhausted from the ordeal we had faced. I fell asleep quickly.

* * *

_Sunday, April 24, 2022, Last Quarter Moon_

After catching up on our sleep, Kameko and I told Mizuki and Haruto what we could. We kept the Shadows and Personas a secret. I still did not want to involve them in that mess, especially if they were not Persona-users like us. That was a battle they could not fight, and would only get in the way.

I had waited until today to call my parents. I had been so tired and busy yesterday, I decided to wait until I had more coherent thoughts in my head. And, well, I was dreading it. I knew they were going to flip, just like they did before. For all I knew, they had completely lost their trust in me.

I was sitting on my bed in my room; I didn't want anyone to hear if it turned into a fight. I relunctantly called the home phone number at my house back on Port Island. I tensed as I heard the phone be picked up on the other end.

_"Hello?" _came the strained voice of my mother.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Hi, Mom... It's me... Arisu..."

Silence. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

_"Oh my goodness, Arisu?!" _she shrieked, blasting my eardrums. _"Young lady, we have been worried sick about you! What were you thinking, breaking into an_ amusement park_?! What was the point in that?! Are you _trying_ to defy us?!"_

I winced; it was exactly as I feared. "No, Mom... It's a long story. You'd never believe me."

_"Excuses, Arisu! Those are just _excuses_!" _she snapped, becoming furious. _"Your father and I thought you could learn something by going to a school far away from here, but I guess not!"_

I gritted my teeth. "Mom, do you not care that I could have, I don't know, _died_ out there?!"

She was quiet for a moment. _"...Of course I care! You're my daughter!"_

"So please stop complaining about my behavior and be grateful that I'm okay!" I snapped.

Just then, there was a knock on my door. "Hey, Ari-tan! It's time for lunch!" called the muffled voice of Haruto.

_"...Is that a boy?" _my mother asked icily.

Oh crap. Crap crap crap crap. I did not need this right now.

I moved the phone away from my head. "In a minute, Haruto!" I returned it to my ear. "...Yes, Mom. That's just my friend Mizuki's brother. Though he's my friend too..."

_"I don't believe you,"_ she stated hotly_. "Arisu, I thought after all that you would have learned better. You found yet another boy to sleep with, haven't you?"_

"What?! No!" I exclaimed, becoming distraught. "It's nothing like that, I swear, Mom! Haruto's just a friend!"

_"Nothing you say will change my mind. I thought I raised you better, Arisu. Where did I fail? What turned you into... a harlot?"_

That was it. I was done. I was done with this. My own mother didn't believe me.

"...Goodbye, Mom," I said coldly. "Don't expect me to call again."

And with that, I hung up.

I just sat there, in the silence of my room. I just... couldn't believe my mother called me that. She... really... felt that way? She no longer trusted me? She thought everything I said was a lie? Why couldn't I have gotten my dad instead of her? He would have listened...

I realized that tears were pricking at my eyes, threatening to fall. I shakily set my cellphone down on the nightstand next to my bed. I couldn't fight it. The tears slipped out of my eyes, and I began to cry in silence. I wrapped my arms around myself, and just let it out.

My own _mother_... called me... a _harlot_.

I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to hold back a sob. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, trying to calm down. I had to go eat. Everyone would be worried if I didn't go down and have lunch. I tried to stop shaking, and continued to wipe at my eyes, trying to get the tears to stop from coming.

I pushed myself up off my bed, and brushed down my bangs, trying to hide at least one of my teary eyes. I walked to the door, opened it, and went to join everyone else at the dining table. Kameko, Mizuki, and Haruto were already sitting down and eating.

"...Sorry I'm late," I mumbled, sitting down next to Kameko where my filled plate was. "I was... talking to my mom."

"Oh yeah," said Kameko. "My dad said you should call them, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did."

"...Hey, are you okay?" she asked, noticing how downtrodden I was. "Did something... happen?"

"I just... fought with my mom."

"What?" gasped Mizuki. "Why?"

"Dude, that's not cool!" Haruto exclaimed sternly. "Especially after what you just went through!"

I sighed, propping my elbows up on the table. "It's... nothing."

"Nothing?!" Kameko demanded, not convinced at all. "It sure doesn't seem like nothing! Your eyes are all bloodshot!"

Great, it was that obvious I was crying?

"I don't want to talk about it," I stated, trying to be firm. "I'm hungry, so I'm going to eat."

No one pushed it, to much of my relief. I didn't want them to know about what I had been like in the past. They might not want to be friends with me anymore...

"Ugh, parents," Haruto sighed after a while. "Why can't we ever have nice ones?"

"...Our mother is nice," said Mizuki, frowning.

"Yeah yeah, but you get what I mean!" he exclaimed, returning his attention to his food. "Enough talk, it's chow time!"

* * *

_Monday, April 25th, 2022, Waning Crescent Moon _

Today was a fresh, brand new day, and I was going to make the most of it.

It was time for breakfast in the dorm, right before we headed off to school. Kameko was quickly trying to finish some homework she forgot about in all the chaos while she ate. Mizuki was sipping tea with her breakfast.

"So, Arisu," said Mizuki, drawing my attention. "Naoto Shirogane will be touring the school today...?"

"Yeah," I answered after I swallowed what I was eating. "Kameko and I are gonna show her around."

"Agh, what is this?!" Kameko grumbled from where she was doing her homework. "I hate everything."

Mizuki and I both returned our attention to each other.

"You're so lucky," she sighed. "I never would have imagined getting to help her with her work."

"Um, well, there's not much we can do," I said with a strained laugh. That she knew about.

"Well, it's still an honor!"

* * *

There was one thing I wanted to do when I got to Kankou before I left to show Naoto-san around with Kameko. And that was confront the Morrigan about what the hell they were doing, letting girls go to their death like that.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kameko hissed to me as we walked through the hallways towards the area everyone knew the Morrigan hanged at before classes started. "I mean, Fukushima really doesn't like it when people give Mochizuki a hard time, and she really, really won't like _you_ doing it."

"Oh well," I snorted, looking up at her. "Are you scared of Jun or something?"

"Uh..." She winced. "Have you seen the way that girl looks at pretty much everyone? If looks could kill, we'd all be dead."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not about to let this go just because Jun Fukushima is terrifying."

There they were! The three girls were standing in a corner, all chatting. Well, it looked like Amaya and Minori were talking, and Jun was just listening. It was time.

"Amaya!" I called, approaching them.

Literally everyone in the area snapped to attention, especially all the girls in black uniforms. Kameko relunctantly followed me up to the trio.

"Ah, Arisu," she greeted me evenly. "What is it?"

"How. Could. _You_?" I spat angrily. "How could you let that girl go to her death?!"

"Oh... You mean Akira Miyahara?" she asked, remaining ever so calm. "I cannot control what happens inside the park, Arisu. She was not strong enough."

"Strong enough?!" I demanded, my hands clenching into fists. "How can you talk about a human being like that?!"

"I don't like your tone," Jun said icily, interrupting. "Watch it, Amano."

"I don't give a damn to what you like," I snapped back. "Someone was _murdered_, and you just say _'she wasn't strong enough'_?! You make me sick!"

Jun scowled, narrowing her eyes. "Give me one reason not to beat the _living shit_ out of you right now, Amano."

"Jun-kun, no!" Minori cried, her eyes wide. "Don't start a fight!"

"Humph," snorted Amaya, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do what you like. They are useless to us anyways."

Wait, what?!

Jun lifted her fist, obviously aiming it at me.

"I don't think so!" Kameko, who had been lingering back, was suddenly by my side. "You touch her and I'll kick your ass!"

"K-Kame-chan..." Minori breathed back where she stood, her eyes wide and her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

Kameko pointedly stood at her full height, looking down at Jun with as much intimidation as she could muster. There seemed to be some sort of staring down contest going on, and neither seemed to be letting up.

"What's going on here?!"

I turned slightly to see Mizuki suddenly appear, walking up to us, the red band of the Disiplinary Committee on her arm. She stopped next to me, and gave us all stern, scary looks.

"Fukushima threatened Arisu," Kameko replied hotly, not looking away from the girl. "You think I was about to let her hit her?!"

"Is that so?" Mizuki responded hotly. "How disappointing. I suggest you all break up, or we will have to meet after school to resolve problems."

Jun scowled, and finally looked away, stepping back. "Whatever. Just stay out of our way, all of you."

"Let's go," said Amaya, not bothered a bit.

I watched as Amaya and Jun walked away. Minori hesitated following them, looking back at us.

"I'm so sorry about this..." she said softly. "About everything..."

And then she rushed away, following her friends. Kameko, Mizuki, and I stood in silence.

"...What a bitch," growled Kameko. "I can't stand Fukushima."

Mizuki snorted. "If you want to start a fight, do it elsewhere. Now, we best all head for class or we'll be late. You can thank me later."

* * *

We had barely gotten into our second class when Kameko and I were called down to the main office. Everyone immediately jumped to conclusions that it was about what had happened this morning. Amaya even watched us leave. But we knew the real reason. It was time to show Naoto-san around the school.

"I sure hope this is why we're being called down," Kameko grumbled as we headed for the office. "We better not get in trouble for that bitch."

"Well, Jun wasn't called down so it has to be Naoto-san," I said, trying to reassure her. "How could anybody find out, anyways, if Mizuki didn't report us?"

"Anybody who saw what happened!"

"Stop being so paranoid," I sighed. "We're almost there."

We reached the office moments later, and I opened the door, stepping inside, Kameko right behind me. Just like I suspected, Naoto-san was waiting for us, speaking with one of the secretaries.

"Naoto-san!" I greeted her, and she turned. "We're here."

"Let's go, then," she said, walking up to us. "Lead the way."

So I did. We stepped out into the vacant hallway. Kameko finally seemed to relax now that she knew for sure we weren't getting in trouble.

"There's not much we can show you," I relunctantly admitted. "Because all of the places dealing with the club aren't unaccessable to us."

"Um, I'll help!"

We all turned to see a rather nervous Minori Yanagi. Like always, she was wearing the black uniform, with her scarlet thigh-high socks, her red hair braided back neatly. She glanced back behind her, and then looked up at us shyly.

"Um, that is, if you want me too," she added sheepishly.

"Minori..." said Kameko, a bit shocked. "Aren't you supposed to be...?"

"I know," she sighed, taking a slight step forward. "But... I hate it... I hate everything they're doing! I would leave, but... Circe says I'll die if I do."

What?!

"You're in this club, I take it?" Naoto-san asked, frowning a bit. "A Shadow-user...?"

Minori nodded. "Yes, and I'm one of the leaders in the Morrigan..."

Naoto-san's eyes widened. "What is your name?"

"Minori Yanagi, ma'am," she answered politely. "You're the detective Naoto Shirogane, right? It's a honor to meet you." She bowed politely.

You know, you just couldn't hate Minori no matter how hard you tried. She was just so nice. At least now I understood why she was still in the cult. She was afraid of dying... That was something definitely to be scared of. I couldn't blame her at all for that.

"You're going to... help us?" Kameko asked, still shocked.

"...It's all I can do, Kame-chan," Minori replied softly. "I know what Amaya-chan and Jun-kun are up to... They're my friends, but... I can't just sit back and let them do it! I'll help in any way I can!"

Now it was my turn to be shocked. She sounded so adamant, so sure. Her blue eyes even seemed hard with determination. Her hands were even clenched. But then she realized what she was doing, and stopped, flushing a bit.

"I'm supposed to be going to the nurse... But, um, I'll help you instead!" she said hastily, walking past all of us. "This way!"

I looked over at Kameko, and then Naoto-san.

"Something... must have happened," said Kameko, still in a state of shock. "Maybe... this morning?"

"What occured in the morning?" Naoto-san asked us.

I sighed. "I confronted Amaya on what happened in the amusement park, and that pissed Jun off... She was going to attack me, but Kameko intervened. A fight would have broken out between them if Mizuki hadn't stopped it."

Naoto-san narrowed her eyes. "I see. This is Mochizuki and Fukushima, correct?"

"...Yeah, them," Kameko snorted gruffly. "Can't stand either of 'em."

I sighed. "Let's not talk about them. We need to follow Minori."

"...Right, right," grumbled Kameko. "Sorry."

We set off then, heading in the direction that Minori went. It took us only a couple of moments to catch up to her. She turned back around to face us, looking a little nervous.

"Um, the room is this way," she said to us before starting off again.

As we walked, I began to recognize the surroundings. Minori was taking us to the secret underground room where the club met after school. This was was extremely risky. But maybe she was just trying to help us in whatever way she could... She slowed down, backing up closer to us.

"I say that Amaya-chan and Jun-kun are my friends... And they are! But... I don't really like what we're doing... And sometimes... they make me feel like such a third wheel." She sighed, pulling down her top slightly. "I feel so torn... I want to support them... but I don't like what they're up to..." She looked up at us, her blue eyes swimming with confusion. "Does that make sense?"

"...I guess so...?" Kameko offered lamely. "Uh... I dunno what to tell you, Minori..."

"Please call me Mino-chan!" she told her suddenly. "You used to call me that..."

She did...? Was I missing something here? Was there more to this friendship than it seemed...? All of this was going to drive me insane.

"Uh... Well... Okay.." said Kameko, sounding very awkward. "Mino-chan..."

I slapped my forehead. "All of you are so damn oblivous."

Naoto-san sighed, obviously seeing the same thing I was.

"What, Arisu-chan?" Minori asked, blinking in confusion. "Oh! Can I call you Ari-chan?!"

"...Sure," I sighed. "Let's hurry, we're almost there."

"Oh, right...!" the redhead cried, turning back around. "C'mon!"

We entered the storage room from before, and Minori did the same thing as Amaya-she pressed her hand up against the wall. Just like last time, the wall slid back, revealing a dark passage. This time, not a single candle was lit; it was pitch black down there.

"Fascinating," said Naoto-san, sounding impressed. "A secret passage in a school? I wonder what it's original purpose was..."

Minori shrugged. "I have no idea, Ms. Shirogane... I think Amaya-chan knows, but she hasn't said anything about it to me. But we're using it now, so I think that's the only thing that matters, right?"

"...True," the detective admitted. "Please lead us inside, Yanagi."

"Yes, ma'am!" she exclaimed.

With that, she headed into the dark passage way. I followed, then Naoto-san, and lastly Kameko. There was still no light when Minori pushed open the door at the end of the hall. We entered the vast, dark room.

"Hang on," I heard Minori say. "We usually use candles to light during meetings, but there are electric lights around here somewhere. There should be a switch!"

I heard walking around me.

"You mean this?" said Kameko, and suddenly the room was illuminated by bright light.

I squinted my eyes from the glare of the light, letting my eyes adjust to the bright contrast.

"Yeah!" Minori laughed. "Thanks, Kame-chan!"

She then ran off to the front of the room, where the table with all the books on top of it, and the boxes below it. Kameko and I followed, with Naoto-san lingering behind us, looking around as she went. When we reached her, I saw that she had pulled out the other briefcase from before, and was opening it.

"Kame-chan, take this," said Minori, handing her the Evoker from inside. "You need it!"

Kameko nearly dropped it when Minori handed it to her. She stared at it, realizing that meant she now had her own means of summoning her Persona, and would no longer have to use mine. I heard Naoto-san walk up to us, and she stopped beside me.

"An Evoker?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "That is how you summon your Personas? Or Shadows in your case?"

"Yes, that's right," Minori answered, nodding.

"I see..." Naoto-san pursed her lips. "I have never used an Evoker."

"Then how did you summon your Persona?" I asked in confusion, while Minori's eyes widened and she stared at the detective.

"It's... hard to explain," was her response as she turned to look around the room some more. "This place seems perfectly ordinary to me, if you ignore the fact that it is hidden from the rest of the school."

I didn't press it; that was rude, after all. We all watched Naoto-san as she walked around some more. I was starting to feel a bit nervous; we shouldn't stay here, in enemy territory, for too long. We could be caught or something. I opened my mouth to say something but it was too late.

"Minori! What are you _doing_?!"

We all froze. Shit.

I turned my head look at the door; standing in the doorway was none other than Jun Fukushima. And she did not look pleased at all. This was very, _very_ bad considering what had happened this morning.

"J-Jun-kun!" Minori stammered, sounding absolutely frightened.

"You little bitch," she growled gruffly. "How could you betray us?!"

"I-I'm not betraying anyone!" she protested desperately. "I was... I was just giving Kame-chan her Evoker!"

Jun took a step forward, entering the room. "Evokers," she said icily, "are for club members _only_. You know that, Minori."

"I-I'm sorry!" Minori cried, leaping to hide behind Kameko. "P-Please don't hurt me!"

"What?!" Kameko demanded, becoming angry. "She's hurt you?!"

Jun snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not yet. But I'm the disciplinarian in the club. Those who break rules _will_ be punished."

"...Are you a sadist?" I asked, speaking for the first time.

Jun scowled harder. "That's none of your business, Amano."

"I believe that's enough," Naoto-san suddenly said, speaking for the first time. She stepped forward, moving closer to the three of us. "You are in no position to be making threats with three Persona-users in the room, Jun Fukushima."

The brutish girl narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Let us leave and there will be no problems for you," the detective stated, unfazed. "Make your choice."

Jun's scowl intensified, but she knew Naoto-san was right. "Fine. You're free this once. And Minori, you're coming with me."

"Y-Yes, Jun-kun," the redhead stammered before scampering out from behind Kameko and hurrying up to the older girl.

Jun briefly glared down at Minori before turning around and heading out of the room. Minori followed her after glancing back at us for a moment. Naoto-san, Kameko, and I stood in silence for a couple of minutes.

"...I really hate her," Kameko announced angrily. "She's such a jerk. Nobody deserves that treatment, especially Minori."

"She must be very bitter and angry inside," I said.

Kameko snorted. "No duh. Let's get out of here before, say, _Mochizuki _arrives."

"Agreed," said Naoto-san. "There are still some places I would like to see."

* * *

We showed Naoto-san around the school some more before saying goodbye to her and heading back to class. We exchanged numbers; if anything came up, we were to call her, and vice versa. It was reassuring to have a more experienced Persona-user backing us. There was someone to turn to if something went very wrong. I felt much safer now.

The day dragged on. I couldn't help but feel a bit on edge and nervous around Amaya. She was bound to find out what happened earlier. I hoped that Minori was okay. If anything happened to her because of us...

Lunchtime arrived, and Kameko and I ended up eating together alone. There were some things we needed to discuss.

"So... uh... Are we taking Naoto-san to the amusement park tonight?" Kameko asked from where she was sitting across from me. "Or should we wait...?"

"To be honest, I don't really want to go back then right now," I sighed, lifting my bottle of Cielo Mist and taking a drink. "Not after what happened... I've been feeling so tired after that."

"Yeah," she agreed, looking down at her lunch box. "Me too..."

"I really wish there were others like us," I admitted, setting down the soda bottle. "It's so hard with just the two of us. At least we have Naoto-san now."

"But how long will she be able to help us?" Kameko asked, and I looked up at her. "I mean, she's... pregnant. What can she even do now?"

"Yeah, true," I admitted with another sigh. I stayed silent for a moment. "Oh, Kameko! You had a game yesterday, didn't you?"

She blinked, looking surprised that I remembered. "Yeah, I did. We won, of course."

I grinned. "I think once we get used to this Persona thing, we'll be fine! You winning the game is a sign of that!"

"If you say so," she said, not sounding convinced. "Didn't Torako say that the Volleyball Club is accepting new members?"

I thought back for a moment. "Yeah, I think so."

"You should check it out," she told me. "They could really use some new members."

"I think I will!"

* * *

So, after classes ended, I decided to go check out the Volleyball Club. Kameko told me as we left the classroom that the club met in the small gym, which was on the other side of the school. Apparently there were two gymnasiums, and the Basketball Club took the nice, large one. We split up, and I headed for the small gym, using the directions that my friend gave me.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside. There were several nets set up throughout the gym, and girls in our gym uniforms were standing around, chatting, some leaving the locker room. I paused, wondering what I should do.

"Ah, are you here to join the club?"

I looked to see a nun approaching me. I waited until she reached me.

"Yes, ma'am!" I replied.

She smiled at me, seeming pleased. "I am Sister Chiyoko, the club advisor. What's your name and year?"

"I'm Arisu Amano, and I'm a second year," I told her.

"All right, Arisu-san," she said. "Let's see... Which one of you is the junior captain?"

"That would be me, Chiyoko-san!"

A girl bounded up to us, wearing the gym uniform—a sweat-suit that consisted of a red zip-up hoodie, white t-shirt, and red sweatpants. She had slightly wavy black hair that went down to her shoulders, with the top strands pulled back into a ponytail, the rest of it down. Her eyes were gray, but bright and happy. She was a couple of inches taller than me.

"Ah, yes, Youko-san," the nun said, nodding. "This is Arisu Amano, who will be joining us. She's a junior."

"Hi!" she exclaimed, giving me a tiny wave. "I'm Youko Furutani! I'm a junior, just like you! I'm also in charge of the juniors in the club, along with being the captain of the whole team! Welcome!"

"Hello!" I said, smiling; her cheerfulness was contagious. "And thanks."

"All right, I'll leave you two at it," said Sister Chiyoko. "Have fun today, girls!"

Without another word, the nun turned around, leaving us alone in the gym with everyone else.

"Seriously?!" I heard a girl demand from behind me. "Does she, like, not care or something?! She always leaves us!"

Youko turned around, raising her hands in a calm down gesture. "Chill, Kimi-chan! We don't need her, do we? We're fine on our own! There's no need to worry!"

I turned around so I could face them all, curious about what exactly was going on here. All the other girls were gathering together, facing us, and I had a feeling an argument was going to break out.

"She probably doesn't give a shit because we suck!" another girl huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "We never win _anything_! What's even the point of playing?"

"Mari-chan!" Youko gasped. "We play because we enjoy the game and it's fun!"

"That doesn't change the fact that we suck," Kimi snapped. "You know what, screw it. I'm so done with all of this. You coming, Mari?"

"Ugh," Mari groaned. "Yeah. Fuck this shit."

Without any other words, the two girls walked out. Youko stared at them as they left, her eyes wide. The other girls lingered, murmuring amongst themselves, like they were trying to decide what they were going to do too.

"C'mon, guys," said Youko. "We can win if we put ourselves to it!"

"It's too much work," another girl whined. "I'm out, too."

I watched in silence as half or more of the Volleyball Club followed Kimi and Mari's suit and walked out. I just stood there awkwardly, wondering why they were even playing in the first place. Winning wasn't everything in sports. You still needed to have fun while you're playing!

"...Sorry you had to see that, Arisu-san," Youko sighed, looking at me apologetically. "I had a feeling this was going to happen. Anyways! Let's get to business, guys! You are the serious ones, right?"

"Hell yeah, Youko!" one of the remaining girls exclaimed. "They were just a bunch of sissies. Let's get practicing!"

Youko grinned. "That's the spirit! Okay, we'll start with a warm-up like always! Time to jog!" She started to step forward, but paused, and looked back at me. "Oh, why don't you go change and then join us?"

I nodded. "Will do!"

"Okay!" she exclaimed excitedly, smiling again. "Hurry up!"

I went to change, and then spent the afternoon working out with the Volleyball Club. It was really fun, though tiring. I was a bit out of shape, after all. But this would help me get stronger during our treks into the amusement park! I made a note to myself to bring a hair tie to pull back my hair next time, because it got in the way a lot. Right as I was leaving the gym, Youko caught me.

"Hey, Arisu-san! Wait up!" she called.

I stopped, and turning around to see her jogging up to me, her bag banging up against the side of her back.

"Few!" she sighed with a light laugh. "Glad I caught you! I just wanted to say thanks for joining today and not bailing like everyone else did!"

"It's nothing, really!" I said, laughing a little as well. "Volleyball is fun. I'm not gonna quit just because everyone else does, or because we don't win a lot."

She beamed down at me. "I'm glad I'm not the only one, haha! Well, we should get going. Don't forget we meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!"

"I won't!" I reassured her.

Then that familiar voice sounded in my head once again.

_Thou art I... And I am thou._

_Thou have established a new bond._

_Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana._

Another Social Link, huh? It looked like I was doing the right thing! It was reassuring to know I was helping myself become a stronger Persona-user! I just had to keep this up... and find more Persona-users to join us in our fight.

Because Kameko and I could not do this alone.

* * *

**I JUST WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE SUPER LATE UPDATE**

**This chapter was driving me INSANE**

**But no, UV is not dead!**

**I'm going to keep this A/N brief**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	5. V: Welcome to the Shadow Operatives

**PERSONA: ULTRAVIOLET**

**Chapter V: Welcome to the Shadow Operatives**

* * *

_Tuesday, April 26th, 2022, Waning Crescent Moon_

I had just come downstairs to get breakfast before heading to school when my cellphone rang. Frowning, I pulled it out of my pocket, and unlocked the touch screen. My eyes widened as I saw that it was Naoto-san calling me. I quickly answered the phone.

"Hello? Naoto-san?" I asked.

_"Hello, Arisu,"_ she greeted me, sounding calm as ever. _"I have made arrangements for you and Kameko to meet some very important people, along with some other things. It would be much easier for all of this to be done during the day. I have arranged for you two to miss school today for these meetings."_

...Whoa. I honestly did not see that coming. Naoto sure worked fast. But this was serious business. I guess she didn't want to waste any time. At least I had rested enough and no longer felt tired.

"Okay," I replied. "That sounds good! I'll let Kameko know. When will this be happening?"

_"Shortly,"_ she told me. _"My driver and I shall be there in about half an hour to pick you up and take you to our destination. I suggest you bring your Evokers and weapons, just in case."_

"Okay," I said. "We'll be ready and waiting for you, Naoto-san!"

* * *

Kameko had been a bit startled when I told her about the change in plans. I honestly didn't mind missing classes because of this. I would be getting to know my fellow Persona-users! I much rather do that than learn. Mizuki was kind of surprised that Naoto-san was taking us out of school for this. She told us she would get our missed work for us before she left for Kankou.

Naoto-san came right on time. We left the dorm with the things she had told us to bring, and then climbed in. She greeted us and the driver took our weapons to put in the back—specifically my naginata. It easily got in the way.

Barely had we begun to drive off when Naoto-san's cellphone rang again. She sighed, pulling it out of her pocket. She checked the caller ID and an annoyed expression flickered across her face. She answered it.

"Yes, Rise?" she spoke into the phone.

An excited, bubbly female voice exploded on the other end. The woman was talking so fast, I had to wonder how the hell Naoto-san was able to understand her. Then there was giggling on the other end, and Naoto-san's face flushed.

"Don't be ridiculous," she, obviously getting flustered. "Calm down, Rise."

I glanced over at Kameko, and she just shrugged.

"No, I don't need you or Yu to come down here," Naoto-san was saying. "I've already gotten a hold of Minako and Akihiko. They will be assisting me with this, but if I require any more help I will ask Kanji to come down. Don't stress yourself, Rise."

The voice sounded again, this time with a slightly more teasing tone.

Naoto-san sighed. "I'm not stressing myself either. Everything is fine and under control. At the moment, anyways. Your assistance most likely will be needed later on. Please tell Yu-kun that."

The woman on the other end spoke again, this time sounding a lot calmer.

"Thank you," said Naoto-san. "I appreciate it. I best go now, Rise. We will have to talk again some other time." She paused as the caller spoke one last time. "Goodbye." Finally, she hung up.

"...Who was that, Naoto-san?" I asked after a moment.

"Oh, that was my friend Rise Narukami," she replied. "She is a Persona-user, and part of my group that solved the case of Inaba. She married Yu Narukami, our Wild Card."

Wait a second...

"You know Risette?!" I gasped in amazement. "And she's a Persona-user too?!"

Naoto-san blinked in surprise. "Yes..."

"Oh jeez," Kameko groaned, leaning back onto the seat.

"Sorry," I muttered, mildly embarrassed.

Silence fell as the ride continued. It was... a bit awkward. No one said anything. What were we supposed to talk about anyways? We didn't know each other well... That would take time.

* * *

We arrived at the Witching Hour Amusement Park several minutes later. Since the park was still closed off because of the murder, we were only able to get inside thanks to Naoto-san's credentials. I was relieved that no one questioned that we were out of school.

"So this place turns into a Shadow nest at midnight," she said as we walked along, looking around. "It would be best, then, to become acquainted with our surroundings before investigating at night."

"That would be a good idea," I agreed, surprised that I hadn't thought of it myself.

"I'll never look at amusement parks the same way again," Kameko sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Say, aren't we supposed to meet people here or something?"

Naoto-san nodded. "Yes, two Persona-users."

I gasped. "Really?! That's great!"

She chuckled, amused by my enthusiasm. "They should be able to help you train to be more battle ready. I would do it myself, but I have no means of summoning my Persona in this world at the moment."

She could have used one of our Evokers... Oh well, it didn't really matter now. We were still getting help. And really, it was best this way, since she was pregnant. I wondered who had come here to teach us.

"Heeeey, Nao-chan!" a female voice called.

We all looked over to see a family. Well, I assumed it was a family; there was a man, a woman, and two kids. They had to be who we were meeting, because the man was dressed... bizarrely.

"Ah, Minako!" Naoto-san exclaimed. "...And Akihiko. I see you brought Sayuri and Hikaru."

The four of them approached us, coming closer so it would be easier to talk. Kameko and I couldn't help but stare. This... wasn't... what I expected.

The man was tall, though slightly shorter than Kameko, and had to be around thirty. He had short, neat silver hair, and gray eyes. He was totally ripped, and I mean freaking _muscular_. I had never seen anyone with such large muscles before in my life. And he wasn't wearing a shirt either. He wasn't wearing a shirt either; instead, he had on a cape. His upper torso had three scars that looked like slash marks. His pants were brown.

The woman had straight auburn hair pulled up in an unusual ponytail, and startling crimson eyes. Barrettes were also in her hair, forming the Roman numeral XXII. She was a bit shorter than me, and was probably in her late twenties. She was wearing a red shirt, white scarf, black and red pleated skirt, white tights, and black boots.

"Hi Aunt Naoto!" the younger of the kids, a boy with auburn hair and gray eyes, exclaimed.

...Wait, what?

Naoto-san smiled gently down at the boy. "Hello Hikaru-kun."

"Are we going to finally hunt some Shadows?!" he asked excitedly.

"Not you, kiddo," the man said with a laugh. "When you're older."

"Aaaaw!" he cried, pouting a little.

The girl, who had silver hair that went down to her shoulders and bright red eyes, rolled her eyes. "Stop whining."

"I'm not whining!" he exclaimed adamantly, glaring at her.

"Okay, you two, that's enough," the woman ordered, her voice firm. "We haven't even introduced ourselves yet!"

"...Sorry, Mom," the boy sighed, looking dejected.

"It's fine," Naoto-san said. "These are the girls I was telling you about—Arisu Amano and Kameko Matsuda."

"Hi there!" the woman exclaimed, giving us a cheerful smile. "I'm Minako! And this is Akihiko, my husband! Sayuri and Hikaru are our kids."

"Hey," he greeted us, nodding. "It's nice to meet you."

"You're one of the other Wild Cards!" I exclaimed with delight. "It's such an honor to meet you!"

Minako laughed. "It's not that big of a deal... Anyways! Aki and I are here to help!"

"Speaking of Akihiko," Naoto said, her voice dry and edgy. "Honestly, Minako, can't you tell your husband to _cover up_?"

I had to agree with her on this one... Akihiko stood out, and was distracting. You didn't see someone looking like him every day. Though he was attractive, it was mainly his scars that were distracting. It was startling.

Minako put her hands on her hips. "There's nothing wrong with Aki's outfit!"

I glanced briefly at Kameko; she looked a bit uncomfortable and awkward.

Naoto sighed heavily, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "At this rate, you're going to become pregnant again..."

Oh jeez. Now I was feeling awkward... The kids were completely clueless. Akihiko blinked, and then rubbed the back of his head.

Minako opened her mouth to retort, but then stopped herself, a smirk forming across her lips. "Well," she drawled, a teasing tone coming into her voice. "It's not lie you've been... chaste with Kanji-kun."

Oh man, that was a good comeback.

Naoto's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. "T-That has nothing to do with anything we're discussing!"

Minako giggled. "Yes it does, little sis!"

So Naoto-san was Minako's younger sister...? They looked almost nothing alike. I wondered, then, if Naoto-san looked more like Minato... I recalled her saying that Minato had been Minako's twin brother.

"Uh... Could we stay on topic?" Kameko spoke up awkward, looking really out of her element. "If you don't mind..."

"...Right, sorry," Minako laughed sheepishly after a moment. "Back on topic! Aki and I are Persona-users, just like Nao-chan. We were members of SEES back in 2009, and we helped defeat Nyx in 2010. My brother was the one who truly saved us though..."

Her face fell; it obviously pained her to think about it. Akihiko reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, his expression sad as well. Sayuri looked a little down too, though Hikaru was more confused. Naoto-san's eyes had flickered down to the ground, a frown forming on her lips.

"Don't think about it too much, Mina," Akihiko said gently.

"You're right," she sighed, looking back at us, trying to put that cheerful smile back on her face. "Sorry about that. Back on topic! Again. Oh, I finally remembered! Nao-chan, you asked me to get you an Evoker, and I've got it with me now!"

She reached into her purse, and pulled out a gun-like object. I recognized it as an Evoker because it looked similar to Kameko's and mine.

"Consider it an early birthday present from me!" she exclaimed with a wink, handing it to her sister.

"Birthday?" I asked in confusion.

"...Yes, my birthday is tomorrow," Naoto-san replied, seeming a bit embarrassed. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?!" I gasped in shock. "We have to celebrate!"

"I would prefer not to," she deadpanned.

"Don't worry about it, Arisu," Minako told me. "Nao-chan's always like that. She's no fun sometimes."

Naoto-san gave her sister an irritated, dry look. But then Minako smirked mischievously.

"Though I doubt Kanji-kun thinks that," she mused lightly. "I'm sure he thinks Nao-chan is _loads_ of fun."

"Minako!" Naoto-san gasped, her face flushing again. "Enough already! There are children present. Not to mention you are probably making the girls uncomfortable."

"I don't get it," Sayuri said, a confused expression on her face.

I looked over at Kameko, and she grimaced at me. Gosh, this was... awkward. That was the only word I could think of that could describe the situation.

"Oooh, right," Minako laughed. "Okay, okay, back on topic."

Akihiko turned to us. "So what have you experienced with Shadows so far?"

"Not much," I told him. "We've only been in the amusement park after dark about twice. We've already fought some Shadows, but nothing major."

"Well, that's better than nothing!" Minako exclaimed, smiling again. "That's still progress. And you were there when Akira Miyahara was... murdered, right?"

Kameko sighed. "Yeah, we were. We tried to save her, but... There were too many Shadows... We couldn't reach her in time."

"Like I told you earlier, these Daughters of Nyx send new recruits into the amusement park after dark to experience an 'Encounter' of some sort," Naoto-san stated. "If they survive, they gain their Shadow. If they do not, they die. The latter was obviously the fate of Aimi Harada and Akira Miyahara."

"This is a lot like the case in Inaba," Minako sighed. "Just without the TV world and stuff. Huh. It must be a coincidence, right?"

"So far, I have discovered no connection between Inaba and Osaka," Naoto-san replied, looking up at her sister. "Until proven otherwise, I will consider it a mere coincidence."

Akihiko pursed his lips. "I think our best bet would be visiting the amusement park tonight."

"Oh! Oh! Can I come, Daddy?!" Hikaru cried, jumping up and down, his gray eyes bright with excitement.

"No. It's too dangerous," he answered sternly. "Sayuri can't come either."

"Aw!" The little boy pouted again, and his sister rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't worry, you'll be old enough in a few years," Minako told them with a chuckle. "All right. For now, why don't we look around the park? Then we can strategize for exploration tonight."

"Sounds like a plan!" I agreed.

* * *

We showed them around Witching Hour, and then went to get lunch. It was pretty fun. Minako was super nice, and her teasing of Naoto-san was entertaining. Akihiko didn't talk that much; he was probably out of place, being surrounded by mostly females. Their kids were fun to talk to, too.

It turned out that Sayuri and Hikaru were Persona-users as well. They had both already awoken, but they weren't allowed to battle until they were at least ten. This greatly disappointed Hikaru; he was eager and excited to get to use his Persona.

Eventually, we had to part. Minako and Akihiko had to take their kids back to the inn they were staying in, and there was still a long time till midnight. We said goodbye to them, having made plans to meet out in front of the amusement park before midnight. They left, leaving us alone with Naoto-san.

"Jeez," Kameko groaned. "Why can't there be normal Persona-users?"

"Define 'normal'," I said.

She gave me an irritated look.

"I apologize," Naoto-san sighed. "I attempted to get ahold of Yu-kun and Rise at first, but they said they were busy."

"It's fine," I reassured her. "Really! I'm sure it'll be different tonight!"

"It better," Kameko huffed. "Or I'm gonna go nuts."

"Hopefully it will," Naoto-san sighed again. "Very well, I best take you home. Get as much rest as you can so you will be at your best tonight."

"We will!" I exclaimed with a nod. "Thank you so much for your help, Naoto-san."

"It's nothing, really," she replied, seeming embarrassed. "Well, let's go."

* * *

Naoto-san took us home to the dorm, and by the time we got there, Mizuki was back from school. She already knew why we were missing school today, but I was surprised to see that Haruto wasn't around. He usually came over on Tuesdays.

She told us he had to help out with something at his dorm, so he couldn't come over today. We shared with her as much as we could during dinner, seeing as she was interested and had asked us about it. We did our best to relax and conserve our energy.

We pretended to go to bed, and waited for midnight to come. We also made sure to change into our uniforms. Since we had left our weapons with Naoto-san, it was much easier to sneak out. I got a text from Naoto-san saying she was outside waiting for us, so then I went to get Kameko and we snuck out. We got in the car, and drove off to the amusement park.

Naoto-san returned our Evokers to us. She told us that Minako and Akihiko would have some other gear for us when we got there. I was starting to feel excited. I was going to get to fight alongside Naoto-san, Minako, and Akihiko, experienced Persona-users!

I looked over at Kameko, catching her attention. She didn't look too eager. I wished there was something I could say to make her feel better... But I couldn't think of anything. So I stayed quiet.

We arrived at the amusement park. The car halted, and we all got out. I saw that the gate was already open, and another car was parked outside. We got our weapons out of the trunk, and then headed for the gate.

"We've been waiting!" I heard Minako exclaim, and I spotted her standing next to her husband, holding a plastic bag full of something. "C'mon, we don't have all day! Get over here!"

Naoto-san sighed, rolling her eyes a little. Kameko and I followed her up to the two.

"Here you go!" Minako exclaimed, not wasting any time. "I've gotten you holsters to wear so you have a place to put your Evokers!"

She handed all three of us holsters, taking them out of the plastic bag. We thanked her, and put them on. I slipped my Evoker into the holster, as did Kameko and Naoto-san. It was now easier to hold our other weapons.

"It's almost midnight," Naoto-san announced. "Is everyone prepared?"

Akihiko grinned. "Hell yeah! I've been waiting for this!"

...What?

Minako just laughed. I looked over at Kameko, and she had a disgruntled expression on her face. Man, this was going to be a long night.

The gates slammed shut, and the amusement park transformed before our very eyes. The heavy atmosphere would still take some getting used to, but at least it was affecting me like before. Minako and Akihiko looked around.

"This is just like the Dark Hour," said Akihiko, frowning. "Except it's contained in this area."

"I wonder if that means the Dark Hour is returning," said Minako, looking worried. "That would be really bad..."

"Well, the only way to find out is if we investigate this place," Akihiko replied. "So, how are we gonna do it?"

"We should stick together," Naoto-san stated. "Normally we form teams of four, but right now it would be best for all of us to be together."

"I agree," said Minako, nodding. "And we can teach Arisu and Kameko as we go! It's the best scenario!"

"All right!" I exclaimed. "I'm ready! What about you, Kameko?"

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "Let's get it over with."

"Since you have been here already, I believe you should be the ones to lead," Naoto-san said to us.

"Of course," I agreed with a nod. "So where do you want to go?"

"How about the park?" Minako asked. "It should be pretty peaceful there!"

"I second that," said Akihiko, nodding.

"Very well," said Naoto-san. "We'll go to the park."

* * *

It took us several minutes to reach the amusement park's regular park. It was separated from the rest of the area with a gate, which was unlocked, much to our relief. The park, however, did not look as nice and calm as we had hoped.

"Oh jeez," Kameko sighed. "This doesn't look friendly."

The grass gleamed sickly green in the eerie moonlight, and the water was red as blood. The atmosphere seemed... heavier, if that was even possible. It was tiring to be here, almost sickening.

"This is definitely like the Dark Hour," Minako stated grimly. "The longer you spend here, the more tired you'll become. I bet it's the same way here as it was during the Dark Hour. Aki and I are used to it, and I'm sure you dealt with something similar in the TV world, Nao-chan, but... Arisu, Kameko, don't push yourselves. If you're feeling tired, we'll just go back."

"All right," I said, nodding. "I understand. Let's go, then!"

And so we headed off, with Kameko and me leading the way. Well, it was more like I led the way and Kameko reluctantly followed. I knew she really did not want to be here, and part of me wished she didn't have to be involved. But it was too late now.

For the first few minutes, there were no signs of Shadows. We were all quiet, our weapons poised, ready to defend ourselves at a moment's notice. I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or worried that we weren't being attacked yet.

The grass was soft beneath my feet, but I knew I had to keep my guard up, no matter how calm it seemed to be. This was a Shadow nest. They were here _somewhere_.

Minako sighed. "I wish Fuuka could have come with us. Or Rise."

"We'll be fine," Naoto-san said, calm as ever. "We're at a slight disadvantage, but with such strong warriors here there should be no problem."

Akihiko nodded, agreeing with his sister-in-law. "Right! Don't worry about it, Mina."

"Okay, okay," she huffed. "Jeez-"

"RAWRGH!"

A black blob burst out of what seemed nothing, catching us all off guard. The monster split, forming into five different Shadows that all looked different. They all had different masks, like Naoto had explained to us earlier. One of the Shadows snarled, lashing out at the closest person, who happened to be Akihiko. The monster raked its claws across his chest, landing a critical hit, and knocking him down. Blood flung everywhere.

"Aki!" Minako gasped, shocked, but then she snapped out of her daze, pulling out her Evoker. "Persona!"

She fired the gun-like object, and glass shattered out from the side of her head, blue fog surrounding her. A Persona came forth, with long red hair, and a heart-shaped lyre.

"Orpheus!" she shouted. "Agidyne!"

The Persona—whose name had to be Orpheus—waved its hand at the Shadow, and fire exploded on it. The monster howled in pain before exploding into dust. I stared in shock and awe. I had never seen an attack so powerful before! But then again, I haven't been fighting long.

I heard another Evoker fire, and looked over to see Naoto-san summoning her Persona. "Yamato Sumeragi!"

I was surprised to see that her Persona was male, with a military uniform and some sort of pointed helmet.

"Vorpal Blade!" she commanded, her voice like steel.

Yamato Sumeragi lunged forward, wielding his sword, and slashed at all of the Shadows, hitting all of them so elegantly. In moments, all the enemies had vanished into dust, handily defeated.

"Aki!" Minako exclaimed, rushing over to her husband's side.

He groaned as he managed to push himself back up into a sitting position. Minako dropped down onto her knees, putting her arm around his shoulder, trying to support him. No one called back their Personas. Naoto-san quietly slipped her Evoker back into its holster, and then joined us as we walked up to the couple.

"I'm... fine," Akihiko got out. "Just caught... off guard."

"Hang on," Minako said, her voice gentle. "It's minor. I'll heal you. Orpheus, Dia."

Glowing blue light surrounded Akihiko, and his wound vanished. So that's what Dia did! Ishtar knew that skill too. It would be very useful.

Minako took him by the hand, and helped pull him to his feet. He rolled his shoulders, and cracked his neck. Naoto-san and Minako returned their Personas then, since he seemed fine.

"That is what happens when we get distracted," said Naoto-san. "We're lucky these Shadows are much weaker than we are. If this was only the girls... I'd rather not think about it."

Minako sighed. "It's my fault... It's been a while since I've been on the battlefield. It won't happen again!"

I took the lead once more, and we headed off. No one said a word this time. We were on total lookout; nothing would faze us now. I was starting to get the hang of things too. I wanted to be the best leader I could be.

The park seemed to have changed during this Dark Hour. It had condensed, forming paths like a dungeon of sorts. So, it was highly likely that you could round a corner and bump into a Shadow. And that was exactly what happened this time. But I was ready.

The giant blob's back was to me, and I quickly ran up to it, slashing the blade of my naginata into its back. It roared, exploding into three different Shadows.

"We've got this!" I exclaimed, hoping that the three experienced Persona-users would leave these monsters to us for practice. I pulled out my Evoker, and they seemed to get the message. "Ishtar!"

I pulled the trigger, and my body was jolted from the impact as glass shattered from the other side of my head. My hair was ruffled as the blue fog surrounded, and Ishtar came forth.

"Double Fangs!" I commanded, hoping it would be super effective.

Ishtar leaped forward, wielding her crystal tipped spear. She thrust it forward, stabbing the spearhead into the Shadow two times. It shrieked in pain, shrinking back.

"Let's do this!" Kameko exclaimed, summoning Enyo, who materialized before her. "Cleave!"

Enyo lunged forward, handling her blade-like arms, and slashed them into the same Shadow I had attacked. Much to my pleasure, the monster exploded into dust. We killed one of 'em! There were only two to go!

But then, one of the remaining Shadows attacked. It snarled, and launched a wind attack—Garu. The wind pulsed towards me, hitting me. I cried out in pain, and was knocked down immediately. I was stunned, and my body continued to ache even after the attack had hit. It was like I was paralyzed; I realized that this had to be one of Ishtar's weaknesses—she was weak to wind spells.

This was really bad then. Shit.

"Arisu!" Kameko gasped, but quickly refocused as the other Shadow launched an attack.

The Shadow crawled toward me, and I was helpless to get away. It slashed at me with its claws, knocking me farther back. Having more pain hit me was agony, and I was too dizzy to even think about getting back up.

"Shouldn't we do something?!" I heard Minako exclaim.

"No, not yet," was Naoto-san's response. "Give them a chance."

"Take this!" Kameko declared. "Bash!"

The world was spinning, but I managed to make out Enyo leaping higher up into the air, and slamming her arms down onto one of the Shadows. But I was still too dizzy to move, to help her. I hated this feeling of helplessness. I was the leader. I was the one who was supposed to be taking care of Kameko, not her taking care of me.

"Wait for it!" I heard Akihiko say.

It was selfish of me, I was relieved when the Shadows moved to attack Kameko instead of me. The dizziness was starting to fade, and my vision was getting clearer. As I recovered, I was pleased to see Kameko dodge one of the Shadows' attacks, but I hoped the one attack that did land didn't hurt her too much.

Finally, I could move again. I grabbed my naginata, and pushed myself back up. I brushed off my skirt, and I heard Ishtar moving behind me. It was time to attack.

"Agi!" I ordered.

Ishtar pointed, and fire exploded around the weakest Shadow. That was all it took; the monster died, turning to dust. That left us with one enemy.

This time, Kameko didn't use her Persona. She lunged forward, brandishing her knives. She slashed at the Shadow with vicious tenacity, landing a critical hit, knocking the monster down.

"Come on!" she exclaimed, turning to me.

I nodded. It was time for an All Out Attack. "Let's do it!"

We ran up to the Shadow together, and proceeded to beat the living crap out of the monster. Once we were done, it was good as dead. It exploded into dust.

I felt a bit tired after that, but suddenly cards appeared in my head once again. One of them contained a Persona, so I chose that one—I gained Nekomata.

"Well done!" Naoto-san exclaimed as she and Minako and Akihiko walked up to the two of us. "I believed you could do it."

I smiled, absolutely thrilled. "Thanks, Naoto-san!"

"Few!" Kameko sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, messing up her bangs. "That was a close one..."

I winced. "Sorry..."

She started a little. "Don't apologize! It's not your fault!"

"Arisu, you should heal yourself," Minako told me. "Your Persona knows Dia, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll do that."

After I healed myself, we proceeded on. It was amazing to watch Naoto-san, Minako, and Akihiko fight. They were so strong! I wanted to be as strong as them someday.

Minako gave me plenty of tips—like how to use my naginata, when to switch Personas in battle, and etc. I was very grateful. Naoto-san was also full of advice for both of us. Akihiko had a lot to tell Kameko, too. It was a very educational experience. I felt a lot smarter afterward.

In the end, I gained a few new Personas—Nekomata, Pixie, and Angel. It made me feel a lot safer, and a lot more capable. I didn't want to put Kameko on the spot like that ever again.

* * *

_Wednesday, April 27th, 2022, Waning Crescent Moon_

I surprised when I got a text from Minako really early in the morning. She said that they—I didn't know who 'they' were though—had been secretly planning a surprise birthday party for Naoto-san, and Kameko and I were invited. We were the ones who would have to bring Naoto-san in. The party would be in the only hotel in Osaka. She also told me the whole gang would be there. I wondered who that would be...

Either way, I texted Kameko to tell her what was up, and then got up to prepare for the day. The party would be after school, so we wouldn't have to miss another day. The more I thought about it, the more excited I got. I loved any kind of party! I hoped there would be lots of food! No party was complete without food.

* * *

The day dragged on. I was so eager for the party later on in the day, I had a hard time focusing. Kameko didn't seem as into it as I was getting, but that was understandable. She didn't seem the type to enjoy parties.

Nothing important happened. Just the usual glares from the Daughters of Nyx and tenseness from Amaya. I wondered if they knew what we were doing, or trying to do...

* * *

"Tell me why we are here again?" Naoto-san asked, obviously puzzled and unsatisfied with our cryptic answers.

"You'll see," I said, trying to fight the smile forming on my lips and utterly failing.

She sighed. "Lovely. Everyone is acting odd today. I was expecting a call from my husband, but I've gotten nothing. It's very unlike Kanji to miss my birthday..."

"Well, the day isn't over yet!" I exclaimed.

Kameko rolled her eyes at me.

We rounded a corner in the hall, nearing the room that Minako had told me the party was in. I led both of them up to the door, and tried the door knob. Just like Minako had said, the door was unlocked and easily opened. I walked into the dark room, and Kameko and Naoto-san followed, though the latter was greatly confused.

"What is the meaning-" she began.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAOTO!"

The lights flashed on, and everyone leaped out of hiding. Confetti popped, and kazoos blew loudly. All of her friends, and the little kids that I assumed were their children, grinned widely at her as she stood there, staring in shock.

"Happy birthday Aunt Naoto!" Hikaru cheered, blowing on his kazoo once more.

A man stepped forward, parting from everyone else. He was tall—he had to be at least six foot—and big boned and muscular. He probably would have been scary, if it wasn't for the warm smile on his face. He had neatly cut black hair, and gray eyes, with a scar on his forehead right above his right eye. He had a nose piercing like mine, and several hoops in his ear. He opened his mouth to say something once he reached us, but he didn't get the chance.

"K-Kanji!" Naoto-san exclaimed, her face flushing. "I thought I told you no parties! And what are you doing here?!"

Holy crap, this was her husband?!

Kanji snorted, crossing his thick arms over his broad chest. "Like I was gonna miss you on your birthday! 'Course I came down here. 'S not much different from Inaba. 'Sides, I gotta keep my eye on you."

She sighed. "Oh, for goodness's sake, Kanji. I'm not incompetent."

He gave her a look. "You can stop pretending you're not happy now."

She gave him a sour look, but he just smiled. For a scary guy, he had a nice smile. Something told me there was more to this guy than his looks. How else would he end up with Naoto Shirogane?

"Oh, fine," she sighed again. "You got me. Thank you, Kanji. You... doing all of this... made my day."

"Oh, just kiss her already!" I heard one of the other guys from the back exclaim in exasperation.

"Shuddup Yosuke!" Kanji snapped, whipping around to face the man, looking someone pissed.

Yosuke just winked at him. "You know you want to."

"Yosuke!" the pregnant woman next to him snapped—she had short light brown hair and brown eyes—and smacked him upside the back of his head. "Knock it off! You're embarrassing them!"

"Snrk... Aha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A woman with long, straight black hair keeled over laughing.

I just stood back awkwardly with Kameko was chaos broke out amongst all the people. Minako and Akihiko looked right at home with them all, smiling and laughing too. There were some kids, but not many. Most of them looked very young.

I glanced over at Kameko. She gave me an irritated look.

"What a crazy bunch," she grumbled.

* * *

It took several minutes for everyone to settle down, and introductions were made.

Yu and Rise Narukami had been married for five years, and already had two kids—Ryuu, who was four, and Yuina who was two—and were expecting their third child in July. Yu was twenty-eight, and Rise had yet to turn twenty-seven. I was very honored to meet both of them—a fellow Wild Card and an ex-idol. They were both very nice, too, which was a major bonus. I wondered if we would be able to work together in the future.

Yosuke Hanamura and Chie Satonaka were married, though Chie had chosen to keep her maiden name, for four years. They also had two kids—Kazuo, who was five, and Rie, who was two—and were also expecting another child in August. Yosuke had yet to turn twenty-eight, as did Chie. Yosuke owned a restaurant in Inaba with Yu, and Chie was a police officer. They seemed pretty cool, though Yosuke was a bit... out there. I wondered how Chie could tolerate him.

Teddie and Yukiko Amagi were quite the odd couple. They had no children, and I had to wonder why. Yukiko was the owner and manager of the Amagi Inn in Inaba; I vaguely remembered, back when I was younger, when the inn got all of that publicity because of the murders. Teddie was even worse than Yosuke, and by worse I mean shameless. I wasn't shocked, though. Nothing really shocked me anymore.

"Sayuri, if you want, you can take the younger kids and go play in the back," Minako said to her daughter, who nodded, and proceeded to drag her brother off while the younger kids followed willingly.

I sat down next to Kameko, who seemed like she really did not want to be there. Everyone else was chatting excitedly, but I didn't feel out of place at all. I was more of a people person; from what I knew about Kameko so far, she was not.

"Okay!" Minako exclaimed cheerily. "Let's eat! Then we can open presents~!"

"Yaaaay!" Rise cheered. "You're gonna love my present, Naoto-kun!"

Naoto-san's eyes widened. "Should I be concerned?"

Yu chuckled. "Don't worry, I didn't let her get anything outrageous."

Rise huffed. "It was _perfect_!"

"Do I... wanna know?" Kanji asked slowly, looking a little alarmed.

"...No," Yu deadpanned.

Oh jeez.

"You guys are no fun!" Rise pouted.

Chie slapped her forehead. "Seriously...?"

Yosuke snickered. "Not that they _need_ help in that area."

Teddie burst out laughing while Naoto-san's face flushed brilliant red, and Kanji looked like he was about to blow a gasket.

"Yosuke..." he growled, his voice dark and menacing. "What you're really saying is, _'I don't need help getting Kanji to beat the shit out of me'_."

Yosuke paled. "Dude, chill, I'm just joking!"

"Snrk..." Yukiko began to giggle. "Good one, Kanji-kun! Aha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Kameko slapped her forehead.

"How is that funny?!" Kanji demanded, jumping up from his seat, getting all riled up. "I'm freakin' serious!"

"Kanji," sighed Naoto-san. "Calm down. It's fine."

He seemed reluctant, but he complied. "A'ight... If you say so..." He plopped back down on his chair.

"I can bearly wait any longer!" Teddie exclaimed. "Come on, let's eat!"

And so the party continued.

* * *

_Thursday, April 28, 2022, Waning Crescent Moon_

Just like planned, Naoto-san came to pick us up and take us to the police station the next day after school. We would be meeting Mitsuru Kirijo via a video phone call; that was how all phones were nowadays. Whenever you called someone, you could see them and their surroundings. According to Naoto-san, we would be calling her using a projector.

So, as soon as yet another uneventful day of classes, Kameko and I told Mizuki we possibly could be home late, and then headed off with Naoto-san. I could tell that my friend really did not want to go to the station. I wish I knew why she clashed with her dad so much. It had to run deep.

The chauffeur drove us to the precinct, pulled into the parking lot, and then parked the vehicle. Naoto-san told him she would call once the meeting was over since we didn't know how long it would last. He left as we headed into the building.

"There you are!" called a familiar voice.

Ohara must have been waiting for us, because there he was, looking slightly tired, holding a steaming cup of coffee.

"Sorry that it's just me," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "Matsuda-san's in a meeting right now, but it should be over soon. He said it's okay if we start without him, though."

"Very well," said Naoto-san, putting a hand on her hip. "That's fine. T-Though... uh..." She seemed embarrassed about something. "Where is the lavatory?"

...Well, she _was_ pregnant. Stuff like that happened, especially after the party yesterday. But I supposed it would be embarrassing for her. Naoto-san was very sophisticated.

"I can take you," Kameko offered. "Which room are we in, Daichi?"

"Uh, the small conference room," he answered, seeming a little uncomfortable. "D-Don't rush yourself, Shirogane-san! We won't start without you! Oh, and the Sanadas are already here!"

Naoto-san nodded, trying to regain her composure. "We will return shortly."

Without another word, Kameko led Naoto-san away, leaving me alone with Ohara. I watched them go silently. I glanced over at Ohara. He seemed even more awkward now. Was it because of me?

"Sorry about that," he said sheepishly, his gaze dropping. "I don't know what to do sometimes..."

"It's okay," I said, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

He looked relieved, relaxing a bit. "Few... Thanks... A-Anyways, we better go, Amano-san!"

He headed off before I could say anything else, so I followed him. He led me through the station, to a room in the back of the building, but not quite. He opened the door, holding it wide-open for me. I was slightly surprised. Barely anyone did that anymore these days.

"Thank you," I told him, before walking inside.

Minako and Akihiko were indeed already there, their kids nowhere to be seen. They were sitting at the long, rectangular wooden table, talking quietly amongst themselves. The door clicked shut, and they both looked up.

"Oh, hi guys!" Minako greeted us, cheery as ever. "Where's everybody?"

"They'll be here in a moment," Ohara replied, much calmer now. Then to me: "Why don't you sit down?"

I did just that, leaving a spot for Naoto-san to sit next to her sister. Ohara sat down as well, setting his coffee mug on the table.

"I haven't talked to Mitsuru in such a long time," said Minako, a wistful look on her face. "She's so busy, so it's harder to make time to visit or talk. But we see Yukari and the twins, Junpei, Chidori, and their kids, Fuuka and her family, and Shinji all the time. Ken's a bit busier since he's just starting out in life, really. I can't believe all this time has passed, y'know?"

"Yeah..." Akihiko agreed. "It's been twelve years."

Minako's red eyes flickered down to the table. "Maybe Ken would be interested in helping us out here."

"Maybe," said Akihiko. "He seemed pretty adamant about staying away from Persona things the last time I talked to him."

No one had a chance to say anything else, because the door opened and Naoto-san and Kameko stepped inside. Naoto-san looked a little pale, and my friend looked a little green. Oh dear, did she have morning sickness? I hoped she felt better because Kanji was expecting us to take care of her and I really didn't want to disappoint him because he could be freaking scary.

"I apologize for making you wait," said Naoto-san. "I'm... not feeling very well."

Minako leaped to her feet. "Then sit down, silly Nao-chan! Do you need anything? Like a drink? Or some food?"

Naoto-san shook her head, walking over to the table slowly. "No, I rather not have anything. But thank you for offering."

Minako put her hands on her hips, looking skeptical. "Suit yourself."

She sat back down, and Naoto-san took the seat I saved for her. Kameko sat in the chair next to me. Ohara cleared his throat, gaining our attention.

"Okay, so we're almost all here," he said. "Should we begin now, Shirogane-san?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"All right!" he exclaimed, standing back up.

Ohara walked over to the projector, punched in a number, and then a screen flashed up onto the wall. It was blurry for a moment, and I could hear the dial tone of a regular phone. A few moments later, the image materialized before us.

"_Hello,"_ said Mitsuru Kirijo. _"It's been a while."_

Mitsuru Kirijo was just as beautiful as I thought. She had dark, deep red hair that went down to her shoulders, curling slightly, with her bags sweeping across her forehead and ending at her chin. Her eyes were the same shade of red as her hair, and her skin was fair. She was in her early thirties. She was dressed elegantly, and seemed to be in some sort of extravagant hotel room.

"Mitsuru!" Minako exclaimed with glee. "You look well! Sorry for doing this on your honeymoon..."

Mitsuru smiled weakly, though it seemed more like a grimace to me. "_It's quite all right, Minako. I trust you and Akihiko have been well? __And the children also?__"_

"Yeah, we've been great," replied Akihiko. "Sayuri and Hikaru are growing like weeds."

Minako smirked mischievously. "At this rate, we might have to have another kid!"

Akihiko's eyes widened, Naoto-san pinched the bridge of her nose, Mitsuru didn't seem surprised at all and-

"Oh, for the love of GOD, will you KNOCK IT OFF?!" Kameko snapped, absolutely _done_. "What is WITH you people?!"

I let out a strained laugh. "Kameko-"

"Don't 'Kameko' me!" she retorted, glaring at me. "I'm sick of dealing with all this pervy stuff! It's bad enough I have to deal with _Haruto_, but THESE GUYS TOO?!"

...Yep, she blew her top.

Naoto-san sighed heavily. "You're not the only one here who believes that, Kameko."

Minako winced. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'll tone it down."

Akihiko was still stunned into silence.

"_...You really haven't changed much at all, have you, Minako?"_ Mitsuru asked with a pained look on her face.

"Ahahahaha..." Minako winced again.

Ohara cleared his throat. "Can we, uh, stay on topic, please? 'Cause if Matsuda-san comes in-"

"What about me?"

We all froze, and Ohara nearly fell out of his chair.

Isao Matsuda was standing behind Ohara's seat, a weary look on his face, a file in his hand. How he came in here without anyone noticing, I had no idea.

"Oh, uh, n-nothing, sir!" Ohara exclaimed hastily. "We were, uh, just starting!"

"...Don't call me that," he grumbled before walking over to an empty chair and sitting down; I noticed Kameko had stiffened even more. "Hello, Ms. Kirijo. I'm sorry we had to call this meeting so suddenly while you are on vacation, but the situation is dire."

She nodded. _"I understand completely. My husband will be out for a while, so we have time to discuss the state of affairs in private."_

Matsuda nodded. "Ms. Shirogane, I have the files you requested put together. I will have a copy of the files sent to you, Ms. Kirijo, as soon as possible."

He slid the folder across the table, and Naoto-san took it.

"Thank you," she said, flipping it open. "This contains all the papers pertaining to the murder cases of the two girls?"

He nodded. "Correct, exactly what you asked."

"_Please tell me about these cases,"_ said Mitsuru.

"Well, Arisu here would be the best for that," said Minako, looking over at me.

I started a little. "Oh! Well, uh, where do I start? Um..."

"The Daughters of Nyx?" Kameko grumbled, still in a foul mood.

"That works," I said. "Okay, so at our school there's this cult under the disguise of a school club. They call themselves the Daughters of Nyx."

"_Are they Persona-users?"_ Mitsuru asked.

I shook my head. "No... They call themselves 'Shadow-users'. I don't really understand what the difference is, though."

Mitsuru's eyes widened. _"Shadow-users?! __Are you absolutely sure?"_

I nodded. "That's what one of their leaders, Amaya Mochizuki, told me."

She frowned. _"Mochizuki...?"_

Minako's eyes flickered down to the table. "Like Ryoji..."

Akihiko grimaced. "Let's not talk about him..."

I frowned, and glanced over at Kameko. She just shrugged. An awkward silence had fallen. No one said anything. Ohara looked really uncomfortable.

"...Anyways," I said, breaking the silence. "The Daughters of Nyx have three leaders who call themselves the Morrigan. Their names are Amaya Mochizuki, Jun Fukushima, and Minori Yanagi."

Kameko snorted. "They really piss me off."

I sighed. "Yeah, they're... something else."

"And there is even more," Naoto-san said, looking grim.

"Amaya told me that whenever Minori's Shadow, Circe, senses potential in someone, they try to recruit her," I said. "Once they do, the new recruit has to stay overnight at the Witching Hour Amusement Park to experience their 'Encounter' to gain their Shadow."

"That's why those girls died," said Kameko. "Because they were recruited by the Daughters of Nyx and forced to spend the night at the amusement park. The Shadows killed them because they weren't strong enough."

"But that's not even the worse part," I said sadly. "Amaya told me their mission is to break the Great Seal so Nyx can come back down and end the world!"

Mitsuru gasped, her jaw dropping and her eyes widening. _"They desire to free Nyx?!"_

Minako nodded. "We can't let them undermine Minato's sacrifice..."

Mitsuru closed her eyes, taking a calming breath. _"We won't allow it."_ She reopened her eyes, looking at all of us, serious. _"__Many years ago, when I first began the Shadow Operatives, I discussed something with Minako that I mentioned to no one else. Do you remember, Minako?"_

She nodded. "How could I forget?"

Akihiko looked surprised. "What's that?"

"_I had an emergency back-up plan just in case anything like this ever happened,"_ said Mitsuru. _"__I called it... the Shadow Operatives Auxiliary Division. Originally, I planned on calling all the former members of SEES... But we are older now, and have families and lives. I cannot uproot everyone just out of the blue."_ She paused. _"__But now we have the two of you. Are you willing to be the first two members of the Shadow Operatives Auxiliary Division and start recruiting other Persona-users to fight the Daughters of Nyx to keep the world safe?"_

I knew my answer. But what would Kameko say?

"I want to," I told her. "After what I've seen, and what I've learned, I can't allow the Morrigan and the Daughters of Nyx to do this. I will use my power to do what I can to end this."

Mitsuru smiled, looking very pleased. _"And you?"_

Kameko stared at the table for a moment or two, before looking up and nodding. "Yeah, I'm in too. I'll do what I can... to protect everyone.

"_Thank you both,"_ she said, looking relieved. _"As of now, you are Shadow Operatives, members of the secret Auxiliary Division. I will have an adviser sent to assist you as soon as possible. Until then, you have Minako, Akihiko, and Naoto to help you. Also, Matsuda and Ohara are your connections to the police."_

I nodded. "Understood."

"Well, I hope we can get this under control," said Matsuda. "If you girls need anything, let me know."

"All right, Dad," Kameko sighed.

_Thou art I... And I am thou._

_Thou have established a new bond._

_T__hou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the __Fool__ Arcana._

Well, it looked like I had a new Social Link! That was a good sign!

Things were really going to get intense now.

* * *

**This is my way of wishing Naoto a happy birthday today! I doubt I'll ever be able to have a birthday chapter ready to be posted on a character's birthday ever again, ahahahaha!**

**I hope Mitsuru is in character, same with Akihiko. It's been a while so I've played P3P. **

**Anyways! The Shadow Operatives Auxiliary Division (aka SOAD) is what the team is called! Now the story will start being more like the games and such. **

**That's all! **


	6. VI: Man's Best Friend

**PERSONA: ULTRAVIOLET**

**Chapter VI: Man's Best Friend**

* * *

_Friday__, April 2__9__th, 2022, __New Moon._

Today was Showa Day, which meant we had the day off from school. It was nice to be able to sleep in, especially after all the stuff that had been happening recently. It was all on the back of my mind. Perhaps I needed to visit the Velvet Room... Maybe Igor or James had some answers. But when I got downstairs, I was snagged before I had a chance to breathe.

"Arisu!" Kameko exclaimed. "Wait up!"

I halted, turning around to see my friend approaching me. She was in her casual clothing, which was just her red track suit and a white t-shirt. It was much more relaxed compared to what I was wearing—a long sleeved black V-necked cashmere sweater with magenta heart designs on top of a lacy, ruffled magenta dress that went halfway down my thighs, thigh-high black socks, black leather knee-high heelless boots, and a white scarf wrapped around my neck with magenta fringe.

"Hey," I greeted her. "What's up?"

"Uh, um, well..." She suddenly seemed awkward, rubbing the back of her neck. "We have the day off, so you wanna go do something?"

"Sure!" I exclaimed with a smile.

She seemed to be relieved. "Thanks. I... N-Never mind! Let's go before Haruto gets here. Mizuki's making him come over to study."

Jeez, she always seemed to be so adamant about avoiding Haruto. I saw nothing wrong with the guy. He was a cutie, and pretty easy to get along with.

"All right," I sighed. "Seriously, what's your problem with him?"

She grimaced. "It's... a long story. L-Let's just go..."

I decided not to press it, and followed her out of the dorm. It was finally starting to warm up outside; soon we would be able to switch to summer clothes. I loved the summer—the warm weather always lifted me up, and you could go swimming, which was one of my most favorite things to do. Before, part of it was because I could show off my figure and make all the other girls jealous and the guys drool. Now... it would just bring back some normalcy to my life.

Kameko and I walked in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, though pretty much everything about Kameko was awkward. Just... everything she did. I wondered how the hell people were actually scared of her. I guess it was like my first impression of Kanji, Naoto-san's husband—he had seemed scary and rough at first, but he turned out to be a total sweetheart. I could see why Naoto-san fell in love with him.

"So... uh..." Kameko was grappling for something to say. "W-What do you wanna do?"

I just looked at her, resting a hand on my hip. "Why are you so nervous?"

She blinked at me, the question registering in her head. She just flushed, and looked away from me. "Y-You wouldn't understand..."

"Try me."

She groaned, and stopped walking. "You're so difficult sometimes."

"I consider that one of my many charms," I laughed. "What's up, Kameko? Something's bothering you."

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "A lot of stuff has been bothering me lately..."

"The whole Persona-Shadow thing?" I asked. "Or... Minori? Amaya? Jun? Or maybe Haruto?"

"Everything," she groaned. "Every time I seem to make headway on something... it all comes crashing down."

"Like what?" I asked, confused.

She shook her head. "You... You'd think I'm a freak."

"If I don't think Kanji-san is a freak, I'll definitely not think you're one," I deadpanned.

"It's different from—okay, maybe it's not..."

"What are you talking about?" I was even more confused.

She ran a hand through her bangs, messing them up. "I... I'm so... I-I don't know how to word it."

I pursed my lips. "I can't help you if you can't tell me."

She looked down at me, an unreadable expression in her brown eyes. "Just... stay with me, okay? Maybe that'll help."

"...Okay...?" I drew out, not sure if it was a statement or a question.

Kameko let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks... I don't know what I'd do if you thought I'm weird." She blinked. "W-Wait, I don't mean it like that!"

"Like what?" I asked, absolutely confused.

She flushed red again. "It's not like—oh, dammit, I'll just shut up now."

I laughed. "You're so cute when you're flustered."

She just turned redder. "S-Shut up... I am not."

I laughed again, flipping my hair behind my back. "Relax, Kame. I'm just messing with you. C'mon, let's go to Hagakure! I'm starving!"

She grumbled. "Okay, okay. But I'm not paying if you stuff your face like the pig you are."

"Hey!" I snapped halfheartedly, since I wasn't really bothered. "Don't be such a meanie, Kame-chan."

"Don't call me that," she rumbled. "Makes me sound like a cutsie girl like you."

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Too bad. If Minori can call you that, so can I."

She puffed out her cheeks. "...Fine... But I'm not calling you 'Ari-chan' or anything, got it?"

I giggled. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Kame-chan."

I felt like our relationship had grown stronger. That was good. It meant I would have more power! And, well, it made me happy. I... needed... and _wanted_... to make good friends. Especially after what had happened back at Gekkoukan, with Himeko... I had to make up for that, even though I had been trying to help her in the first place.

I pushed those thoughts out of my mind, and headed with Kameko to Hagakure, where we spent our time talking, laughing, and eating the wonderful ramen.

* * *

We were walking back to the dorm when we came across a group of boys—probably from Kenkou—gathered around something, jeering and laughing. Kameko and I stopped, and my friend had a very irritated scowl on her lips.

"Ugh, what are they at again?" she snapped. "My dad's had to break them up so many times already. Daichi, too. Dammit, when will they _learn_?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

She looked down at me and winced. "Oh, sorry. You don't t know. Those boys are the closest thing we've got to a gang here in Osaka. They go around terrorizing people—stealing kids' money, kicking dogs, and just overall being total asses. Looks like they've found their next target." She scowled fiercely. "I can't let them do whatever the hell they're doing."

My eyes widened. "Kameko, you can't be serious! There's, like, seven of them! You'll get hurt!"

A loud, piercing whine sounded as one of the boys kicked whatever they had surrounded. That definitely sounded like a dog. I couldn't believe it. Were they really kicking _dogs_?!

"Hey!" Kameko snapped, storming up to them, her hands clenched into fists, and I had to admit, she could be pretty intimidating when she wanted to. "What the _hell_ do you think you're _doing_?!"

The circle parted, revealing that had had, indeed, been kicking a poor dog. I couldn't see it very well from where I stood, but it was obviously hurt.

"Well well well, look who it is," the tallest boy sneered; I figured he was the leader. "Kameko Matsuda, resident dyke."

That comment only pissed her off even more. "Shut up, Honda! What are you doing to that dog?!"

Another boy snorted. "Why don't you run on back to your little girlfriend over there?"

...Wait, _what_?

Were they referring to _me_?

"...Excuse me?" I demanded, an icy edge to my voice, taking a step forward. "What did you just say?"

"Arisu, stay out of this," Kameko growled. "I've dealt with these bastards before. Nothing new."

Honda blinked. "Arisu? Oh, Arisu Amano, the new transfer student at Kankou! Damn, I heard that you were hot but I never thought you'd be so damn sexy!"

I put both hands on my hips. Normally, I would be flattered but not in this situation. "You think I find that attractive? 'Oh my gosh you're so freaking hot'. Hell no. Back off. Leave Kameko and the dog alone."

The other boy narrowed his eyes. "You've got a lot of guts, Amano."

So I've been told. "Flattery will get you nowhere," I deadpanned.

Honda scowled. "Boys, maybe we should teach this bitch a lesson."

Kameko's eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged," another boy said, cracking his knuckles.

I suddenly realized the reality of the situation; Kameko and I were powerful during the Dark Hour, in the amusement park, with our Personas and weapons... But here, in the real world, we were weak. Well, weaker than we were then. We couldn't exactly sic our Personas on them, even if we had our Evokers. I had just made the stupidest mistake of my life. I should have listened to Kameko. Dammit.

Kameko backed up as the boys began to approach us, leaving the injured dog alone. Crap, this was really, really, bad-

"What's going on here?"

A clear, familiar masculine voice sounded from behind us. I didn't _dare_ turn my back to the boy, glancing behind me instead. It was Raijin Oshiro, the boy that Haruto and I had bumped into before—Haruto's roommate and senpai. Raijin sauntered up to us, halting next to me, his hands shoved into his pockets. He looked perfectly calm, but the look in his bright blue eyes could kill.

"Honda, you wouldn't be picking on these girls, would you?" he asked, a deadly edge to his voice. "You're _way_ better than that."

Panicked expressions came upon all the boys' faces. Honda tried to recover, though.

"B-Butt out, Oshiro!" he snapped, trying to sound all tough but he really sounded scared shitless. "This doesn't involve you!"

"Yes it does," he deadpanned. "Picking on other guys is one thing, but _girls_? Seriously? People _weaker_ than you?"

"I-I'm not weaker," Kameko muttered.

Raijin glanced over at her. "Okay, so Kameko-san isn't, but Amano? Besides, do you really want to mess with a cop's daughter? I heard about this one cop in Inaba whose daughter got kidnapped and he went _ballistic_. Just imagine what Matsuda would _do_ to you."

Most of the boys gulped.

"I dunno, man," Honda's sidekick said. "Let's just go... I mean, this is _Oshiro_. We won't stand a chance against him, plus Matsuda..."

Honda scowled. "You lucked out this time, _bitch_."

With that, the group of boys skulked away, leaving us and the dog alone. I realized I had been holding my breathe, so I let it out with a loud sigh, relaxing—only to have Raijin turn on me.

"Are you _crazy_ or something?" he demanded, nearly towering over me; he was freaking tall, taller than Kameko. "Are you _trying_ to end up in the hospital?"

I admit, I flinched a little. "I-I couldn't stand them hounding on Kameko..."

He let out an aggravated sigh, running a hand through his light brown hair. "Just be more careful, okay?"

Kameko blinked, looking back and forth between us. "Huh? Oshiro-san, you know Arisu?"

"Oh, I met her when she was hanging out with Haruto," he replied.

Now was my turn to be surprised. "You know each other?"

Raijin laughed. "Of course. We're both athletes. Though I'm into kendo, and she plays basketball. Our schools do a lot of stuff together, and the town's small. It's kinda impossible not to know everybody."

Yeah, this place was so different from what I was used to. Having grown up on Port Island, there had been a lot of people I didn't know, and still didn't know. The place could be pretty mysterious at times, especially with that syndrome that made you like a zombie back when I was little. Those people had scared the crap out of me when I saw them walking to and from school. I remembered that much.

"Yeah, that's how things go here," said Kameko.

"Never mind that," I said, returning my attention to the trigger of all this. "That dog's hurt!"

Raijin's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah!"

We ran up to the fallen dog. It was unconscious, its body laying limp on the ground. It looked like a shiba inu, with black fur and one white paw, its front left one. It looked hurt all right; its fur was matted with dried blood. I crouched down, attempting to check for a pulse.

"It's still alive!" I gasped with relief. "We have to help it!"

Raijin nodded. "Hey, I know this dog. I've seen it around lately. I don't know where it came from, though. It just appeared out of nowhere and started hanging around here."

Kameko frowned. "That's weird."

"It doesn't matter where it came from," I said firmly. "We have to help it!"

"Agreed," said Raijin, nodding again. He reached to scoop the dog up into his arms. "Let's go. There's a vet clinic nearby. I can walk you two home afterward. I don't trust Honda and his pack."

"Thank you so much," I sighed with relief. "Raijin-senpai."

Our schools were connected, so I could call him that, right?

He smiled, standing up; man, he really had a gorgeous grin. "Come on, you two."

* * *

Raijin-senpai took us to the veterinary clinic, where we reluctantly parted with the dog. Since the canine had no owner, Raijin, being the chivalrous young man he was, insisted on paying the bills himself. I hated having to go, but he reassured me he would let me know how the dog was—and for this reason we exchanged phone numbers. Then, like he promised, he walked Kameko and me back to the dorm, telling us to tell Haruto he said hello before parting and heading off.

Raijin Oshiro was a really nice boy... I could see why he would have fangirls... or fanboys.

Kameko gave me a weird look as we headed into the living room. "Please don't tell me you're gonna turn into one of his crazy fans."

I blinked, confused. "What? Oh, you mean Raijin-senpai? Nah, I'm not like that. He's really cute, though. And nice. Someone you can trust."

"Yeah..." She nodded in agreement. "He's a cool guy. We were in middle school together, but never really friends. He's like attached to the hip with Uchida, who's a total ass. Dunno how or why they're still friends."

"Haruto told me," I said.

"What about me?!"

Haruto appeared, startling the both of us. He was wearing a gold V-neck shirt, a red padded winter jacket with white fur trimmed around the hood, white skinny jeans, and bright gold sneakers. His gold and black headphones rested around his neck, with his gold sun medallion hanging down from it as well.

Kameko scowled. "Butt out! None of your business!"

Oh, for the love of-

"If it's about me, it _is_ my business!" he snapped back. "What is your problem?"

Oh, her problem was so obvious. "Will you two knock it off?" I sighed. "Man, we barely come back and you're fighting already."

Kameko's face fell. "Sorry..."

Haruto raised an eyebrow, and then shrugged. "Whatever... I'm just tired of studying! Mizu won't give me a break!"

I winced. "She just cares about you..."

He sighed. "Yeah, I guess so... She's always been like that—looking after me and stuff. It's not like I can't take care of myself!"

"Sometimes I wonder about that," Kameko muttered.

"Huh? What'd you say, Kame-tan?" Haruto asked, blinking.

"N-Nothing!" she snapped, her cheeks tinting pink. "And don't call me that! Dammit, I hate nicknames, okay?!"

I took this as my chance to end the fight before it started up again. I stepped forward, grabbing Haruto by the arm and pulling him with me, making him give me a confused look.

"Come on, Haruto-kun," I said. "We saw Raijin-senpai earlier today. He helped us with a couple of things. He wanted us to tell you he said hello."

He blinked. "Oh, that's nice. Senpai's always nice." His face fell. "That's why the girls are all over him..."

Oh jeez.

"N-Not that I'm jealous or anything!" he stammered, blushing a little. He recovered, looking down at me with a playful smirk on his lips. "Not when I have such a lovely lady like you all over me."

I pushed him away, laughing. "Nice try, Haruto."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Kameko groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Don't encourage him."

"I don't mind," I said with a light shrug. "C'mon, Haruto, I have a story to tell you!"

His dark blue eyes lit up. "What kinda story?"

"You'll see," I said mischievously, though I only intended to tell him about the dog we found. I admit, I was having too much fun messing with his head; I always had had a flirting problem. "Come sit with me!"

Kameko slapped her forehead. "I give up."

* * *

_Saturday, April 30th, 2022, Waxing Crescent Moon._

The next day came way too quickly.

I walked with Kameko on the way to school, and we chatted about some silly things. I hadn't heard from Naoto-san in a couple days, but I assumed everything was okay. After all, she had Kanji with her. I knew everyone else had left. I wondered when we would be doing anything as SOAD... We needed to keep on training, that was for sure.

However, I was very much surprised to find three certain people waiting outside of the gates for us—Amaya, Jun, and Minori. I was laughing at something Kameko said when we had to abruptly stop in front of them. I shut my mouth, and Kameko tensed. The silence was thick and full of tension.

"What do you want?" Kameko demanded gruffly.

"We merely wish to speak with you," said Amaya, eerily calm as ever. "We do not wish to quarrel."

Kameko eyed Jun. "Are you sure about that?"

That just made Jun tense even more, and glare at her fiercely, scowling. It had to be because they were both the bruisers, right? Or was it... something else... Nope, wasn't going to think about it. It wasn't that important anyway.

"Jun-kun, don't," Amaya said, her voice actually gentle, and she reached out to place her hand on the taller girl's arm, her attempt to hold her back. "We are here to talk."

Jun huffed, looking away. "Fine."

...She was really whipped, wasn't she? Minori looked really uncomfortable, like she wanted to crawl away and hide. I couldn't really blame her.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked, resting a hand on my hip.

Amaya seemed pleased. "I propose a challenge, if you will."

"...A challenge?" Kameko repeated with confusion, frowning.

Amaya nodded. "Yes. A challenge. You see, Mother Nyx came to be in a dream last night."

Oh shit. Was this for real? My eyes darted to glance at Kameko, who looked much paler, but otherwise I could not move.

"She said... _'Challenge the chosen ones who oppose you. Make them listen. Make them understand.'_" Amaya paused, looking as serious as ever. "Then she told me, _'Soon you will be able to recruit Shadow and Persona-users of all Arcana—whoever can recruit the most that survive is the winner.'_" She closed her eyes, clasping her hands together. "Minori-chan has already discovered the first of this challenge—a Persona-user."

What?! This... This was insane. She was acting like this was some sort of game, not a matter of life or death. Like lives didn't matter to her, only winning, only destroying the Great Seal—Minato Arisato, a real person, someone's _son_, someone's _brother_, someone's _friend_, someone's _lover_—and unleashing Nyx on all of us. It infuriated me speechless. I could not find any words to say.

Minori started, gulping a little. "Oh, um, y-yeah..." She looked very hesitant to say who it was, like it pained her. "It's... It's...Yukimura-san!"

Wait, what?

Kameko's eyes widened. "Which one?!"

"Mizuki-san..." Minori's face fell. "I... I've never met her brother, so I wouldn't know if he is too..."

Mizuki... Yukimura... was a Persona-user?! Our roommate, our friend, Haruto's twin sister... An ally was right beneath our roof?! And then there had to be a chance that Haruto had the potential too; I mean, they were twins. This was almost too much to handle at once.

Amaya smiled sweetly. "Correct. The likely hood of her infantile brother having a Shadow or Persona is unlikely. He is too much of an oaf."

Kameko scowled, and I swear her eye almost twitched. "Don't talk about Haruto like that, like you actually _know_ him! He's annoying as hell sometimes, but he's got a good heart!"

...Well, what do you know? Kameko jumped to defend Haruto even though she treated him like crap and seemed like she hated him. I smirked deviously.

"Oh, so you really _do_ care about him!" I teased lightly.

Kameko's eyes widened, and her face burned as red as her tracksuit jacket. "S-Shut up! D-Don't tell him I e-ever said that!"

I smiled sweetly, triumphant. "I can't promise that."

"A-Arisu! Don't you _dare_!" she exclaimed in panic.

I waved her off. "Don't worry about it." I returned my focus to the enemy. "Mizuki, huh? Well, good luck trying to recruit her. She already knows you're up to no good."

Minori looked relieved—though she quickly hid it—while Amaya frowned and Jun scowled again.

"We shall see," said Amaya. "Now, we best get to class or we will be late. We can't have that now, can we?"

If this was a game, there was no way I could lose.

* * *

Class dragged on. I did my best to pay attention, and after listening to the lecture I did feel smarter. I was relieved when lunchtime came, because I was absolutely starving. The more I thought, the hungrier I got. I had to go to the bathroom, so I headed off to do that before I opened the boxed lunch that Mizuki had packed for me.

Mizuki... I couldn't let her fall victim to the Morrigan. There was no way I was going to let her die... And after that, I wouldn't let anyone else die either, no matter what kind of user they were.

"Arisu!"

I turned to see Rika bounding up to me, excited as ever.

"Oh, hey, Rika," I said, greeting her. "What's up?"

She giggled. "It's so weird meeting you out here! Anyways, I-"

My cellphone vibrated, catching my attention. I frowned, and pulled it out of where I kept it my bra, and saw that I had gotten a text from Raijin.

"How do you keep it in there?!" Rika gasped, her eyes wide. "I'm too small for that!"

I winced. "Ahahahaha... I just do?"

I checked the text message. It said: _Dog's better. Want to go see him after school?_

"Who is that?" Rika asked, looking very curious.

Well, I might as well tell her... "Raijin-senpai."

Her eyes widened again. "You mean Oshiro-san?! You have his number?!"

I grimaced. "Well, he helped Kameko and me save this hurt stray dog, and he took responsibility for it, but he exchanged numbers with me so we know what's going on with it."

Her face fell. "Oh... I see. Well, that makes sense!"

"...You're not a fangirl, are you?" I asked warily.

She shook her head. "Oshiro-san is really cool and all, and I admire him for his accomplishments in sports and stuff, but... he's not really my type, y'know?"

I nodded. "Well, we all like different kinds of people!"

She smirked devilishly. "Do you like him?"

I started. "H-Huh? Well, he is attractive... But I just met him." I shrugged. "I gotta get to know him first."

I didn't even have a _Social Link_ with him!

"True..." She clasped her hands behind her back. "Oh, well, you're going to see the dog with him, then?"

I nodded. "We can hang out next time!"

Her face lit up. "Yay! Awesome! Okay, I better go! I have to do something for the Fashion Club real quick! Bye-bye!"

She scampered off without another word. I returned my attention to my phone, and texted Raijin back.

_Yeah how is he?_

I decided to head for the bathroom as I waited for his response.

_A lot better! Ok, I'll meet up with you at Kankou and we'll walk there together._

You could tell a lot about a person from their texts. Raijin used proper sentences and barely any abbreviations. I figured he was a very proper, rule abiding person. Which was why it made no sense, after all that I had heard about Takeshi Uchida, that they were friends. I tried to tell myself it had to be more than that; it was something deeper. But what kind of deep? You could go down with so many different routes with this.

I wondered if I would even establish a Social Link with Raijin Oshiro. That saddened me, but that didn't mean we couldn't still be friends, right?

_Ok see u then_

I finished up in the bathroom, stuffed my phone back into my shirt, and then left. Once I had left the bathroom, I felt a lot better—like my condition had even improved. That was really weird. Bathrooms weren't supposed to help you like that.

...Unless you were a guy.

* * *

Since there was another big game coming up for the basketball club, Kameko had practice. I asked her to keep an eye out for Mizuki if she could, and told her we wouldn't be training tonight because I didn't want her fighting while she was tired from extra hard practice. After that, I told her I was going to see the dog with Raijin-senpai, and I would text her to tell her how things were. Then I left to go meet up with Raijin.

He must have, somehow, gotten here before me, because there he was, waiting for me outside the gates once I got there. I had never seen him in his uniform before—and he looked really good—so I tried not to stare. His black jacket was slung over his shoulders, and he was wearing a white long sleeved dress shirt with enough buttons undone to see a blue t-shirt beneath, and black slacks. Some girls were gathered nearby, giggling and tittering like lovestruck fools.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. I knew meeting up with Raijin was going to start rumors—and there were already enough going around about me, Kameko, and Amaya—but I didn't really care. I wanted to see that dog, to make sure the poor thing was okay. So, with my head held high, I walked up to him. I wasn't about to let anyone scare me.

"There you are!" he exclaimed once I had reached him. "You ready to go?"

I was very aware of the girls staring—some glowering—at me. But I ignored them, nodding.

"Yep! Let's go!"

He had no problem with turning his back to those other girls and walking away with me. I tried not to feel smug about it, but old habits die hard. I had been struggling with it a lot more lately than usual.

"The vet said if we had found him a moment later, he may not have made it," Raijin told me, looking straight ahead. "What a relief... It would've killed me if Honda and his gang did that again."

"Again?" I asked quietly.

He grimaced. "Yeah... Kameko-san told you, didn't she?"

"A little."

He sighed. "Takeshi hangs around them sometimes. I wish he wouldn't. But he doesn't really listen to me anymore." He scowled. "All he cares about is-" He cut himself off, realizing what he was saying. "S-Sorry! I shouldn't dump this all you when we've only just met. You're just... easy to talk to, I guess?"

"It's all right," I said, trying to reassure him with a smile. "Sometimes the people you care about don't make sense at all."

Like my parents...

"Yeah..." He nodded, as if he was trying to convince himself. "It happens a lot with Takeshi."

I didn't really know what to say right now... So I stayed silent. He didn't say anything else either. The quiet was awkward, as if he had finally realized I was actually a girl. Huh. Maybe he was a little slow?

We reached the veterinary clinic in twenty minutes. I was surprised it was so close to the schools. Raijin led the way to the front doors, and opened the door. He held it out for me—jeez, all these gentlemen—so I stepped inside. The door clicked shut and he followed me. The waiting room was surprisingly cool, nearly a shock from the warmer weather outside. I followed Raijin up to the front counter.

"Ah, are you here to see your dog?" the nurse at the corner asked.

"Yeah, that's right, ma'am," he replied, nodding.

"Okay, let me call the nurse in charge of him to come get you," she said, picking up the phone on the desk; it was a rather old one, without a video screen.

Raijin stepped back, his jacket hanging from his shoulders, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He seemed so casual and relaxed, like he did this all the time. He looked down at me, caught me watching him, and smiled. Jeez, did he realize he was so charming? He was making my stomach flutter. It'd been a while since a guy made me react like that. A long time...

Another nurse came out, and led us into the back of the clinic. I heard all kinds of noises—barking, whining, sniffing, scratching, that kind of thing. Animals noises. It was very clean, and the cages we passed were the same way. It made me happy to see all the pets being taken care of so well. Finally, the nurse opened the door to a room, letting us inside. Raijin gestured for me to go in first, so I did.

Inside the room, laying on a bed in the corner, was the dog. He—as Raijin had informed me—looked so much better! His black fur was all cleaned up, and glistened healthily. His shiny, bright blue eyes locked onto me as soon I stepped inside the room. He had a bandaged wrapped around his torso, but that was it. His tail began to wag furiously, and he let out a yip. He leaped to his feet like he hadn't been injured at all, and with his nails clattering on the bare floor, ran up to me.

"Whoa!" I cried as he jumped up on me.

Raijin laughed as I tried to push the dog down, and only succeeding in letting him lick my fingers. Finally, the dog relented as he backed up, landing back onto the floor on all fours.

"Oh my," the nurse gasped. "He hasn't been this lively, not even when Raijin-san visited him this morning."

Raijin-senpai grinned. "He must like you, Amano." He reached up to rub the back of his head. "I... can't keep 'em. The dorms allow pets, but one of my dorm mates is allergic. So... I was gonna ask you if you'd mind taking him. And he likes you, so that makes it even better."

I blinked, surprised. "Oh, um, well... I don't know if my dorm mates would be okay with it. Kameko, probably, but I'm not sure about Mizuki."

"Well, you don't have to take him home yet," he said. "He still has to stay here for a few days."

I nodded, looking down at the black dog, reaching to pet him. He wagged his tail harder when I patted his head. Raijin chuckled at the dog's response.

"Hey, you should name him," he told me. "Since you're probably gonna take him."

Oh... "Um..." I wracked my brain for a good name. "How about... _Kaname_!"

The shiba inu barked his approval, making Raijin chuckle again. "I think he approves. Kaname it is, then!"

_Thou art I... And I am thou..._

_Thou have established a new bond._

_Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana._

Well, it looked like I had a Social Link with Kaname, huh? So it wasn't just limited to humans... That was interesting. I wondered how that would even work.

* * *

Raijin walked me back to the dorm, said goodbye, and headed on his way. I opened the door, and went insdie, only to hear the all two familiar bantering of Kameko and Haruto. I sighed, wondering what the problem was now. I walked into the living room, seeing the two of them facing off and yelling at each other, while Mizuki sat calmly on the couch, reading something. How she could do that, I had no idea.

"Guys, I'm-" I began.

"Agh! YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE!" Kameko yelled, sounding furious. "Why do I even BOTHER?!"

Haruto flinched back. "Don't be like that, Kame-tan!" he exclaimed. "Jeez, you're seriously way too uptight!"

Haruto was way too relaxed about this. I walked up to them, setting my bag down and crossing my arms over my chest.

"What's going on here?" I demanded, eying them.

"Just the usual," Mizuki deadpanned. "Nothing new."

Kameko puffed out her cheeks. "Everything I say goes right over his head!"

"Does not!" Haruto retorted, glaring at her. "You're the one getting all pissed at me!"

Mizuki pinched the bridge of her nose. "Would you two just try to get along?"

"Guys," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "Mizuki's right. This is ridiculous. I mean, we're all gonna have to deal with each other while we live in this dorm. So let's make the most of it, okay?"

Kameko looked over at me, and sighed heavily. "Okay, okay, fine..."

Haruto's eyes widened. "Heeeeey! Why d'you always listen to Ari-tan?!"

Kameko's face flushed, and she glared at him. "What's it to you?!"

"Okay, guys, knock it off," I sighed, turning my attention to Mizuki. "Mizuki, I need to ask you something."

She looked up at me from her book. "Hmmm?"

"Is okay if I get a dog?" I asked. "I helped rescue this stray the other day and he has nowhere to go, so... Are you okay with that?"

Mizuki nodded almost immediately. "Of course! It would be nice to have a doggie around." She smiled. "Thank you for asking."

I grinned. "Awesome! I dunno when he'll be coming home, but his name's Kaname!"

"Oh man," Haruto breathed. "Lucky! I wish I could have a dog..."

"Well, you can always play with Kana-chan when you visit," I told him with a smile.

He grinned right back at me. "Sounds like a plan!"

* * *

___Sunday, May 1____st____, 2022__, __Waxing Crescent __Moon._

The next day, I had off from school. Barely had I gotten up when my phone went off. Part of me hoped it was Raijin with an update on Kaname, but it wasn't. Nope, it was Haruto instead.

_hey do u wanna go out today?_

I texted him back. _Sure!_

_awesome i'll come 2 get u in 1 hr _

I got up from my bed, and prepared for the day out with Haruto.

* * *

We stood outside a shop on Main Street, with a sign in pink and purple that read _"Moonie's Sweets"_, completed by a yellow crescent moon on the side. So this was the place Haruto had told me about!

"See?" he said to me with a wink. "Told ya I'd bring you here, Ari-tan!"

I laughed. "I never doubted you."

His grin faded. "Y-Yeah... Um, well, I wanted to talk to you about somethin'..."

I frowned. "Okay...?"

"Let's go inside first!" he exclaimed.

So we went inside, and ordered some food. I got some cake, while Haruto got some cookies. We sat down in the far back of the parlor, so Haruto could tell me whatever he needed to in peace. Whatever it was must no longer have been bothering him, because he seemed to be back to his usual relaxed self. But as we ate in silence, it slowly faded again.

"...What's wrong, Haruto?" I asked quietly.

He sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "...Can you do me a favor?"

"It depends."

He stared down at the one cookie he had left. "It's... Mizuki. I'm... worried about her."

I frowned, trying not to think of the Morrigan's challenge. "Why?"

He sighed. "She's... always overworking herself. She tries way too hard, y'know? She's always trying to help me, she runs herself dry. She's always been like that. Since you're dorm mates and all, I thought I'd ask you..."

"Don't worry, Haruto," I said reassuringly. "I'll watch her. You can count on me."

A grin broke out across his youthful face. "Yeah! Thanks a lot, Ari-tan." He coughed, covering his mouth with his fist. "So, uh. How do you like Osaka so far?"

I took a bite of my cake. "It's a lot different from what I'm used to, but I'm liking it here so far! I've... never made such great friends before."

He laughed, grinning. "Glad to hear it!"

I spent some time with Haruto, before we parted ways heading back to our respective dorms. I felt much closer to him now, and more powerful as well.

* * *

Later that day, I let Kameko know we were going in for some more training in the amusement park. She didn't seem too pleased, but she knew it was our job now, and didn't complain about it like before. That relieved me. Right now, we were the only ones who could keep Mizuki safe.

Like always, we did what we needed to the rest of the evening, and pretended to go to bed. I hated hiding this from Mizuki, but as of right now, it was the best thing to do. The less involved she was, the better, though who knew how long that would last. Once midnight was approaching, and we were sure that Mizuki was asleep, we headed out.

I was beginning to feel a uniformity, now that we had a team formed, even though there were only two of us. This whole situation was abnormal, but now it was starting to feel _normal_. And normality was something I hadn't had in a long time.

We entered the Witching Hour Amusement Park just a minute before we were locked inside, and the world before us transformed, twisted by the Dark Hour. We decided to check the whole food court, which was the center of the entire amusement park. We noticed that every gate leading to the other sections was locked, except for the regular park. I wondered why.

"Well, let's stick to the park for now," I said, turning to Kameko. "Maybe we have to beat some sort of boss in the park first before we can continue on?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Does it really matter? This place is crazy enough as it is. Nothing surprises me now."

I nodded, looking down to the front of the food court. The door to the Velvet Room seemed to gleam brighter than normal, like it was trying to catch my attention. Maybe I should go inside...? I hadn't seen Igor or James in a while...

"Well, lemme know when you're ready to go," Kameko said, turning to walk over to stand by a booth close to the door.

This was my chance to go the Velvet Room, wasn't it? Well, I was going to take it. I headed over to the ticket booth, went inside, and then pulled open the door to the Velvet Room.

* * *

I always felt strange whenever I went into the Velvet Room, though I had no idea why. And there they were, like always, Igor and James. I wasn't sure if I was expecting something different, but it had been a while since I had visited them.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," James greeted me, his voice as alluring as before. "I've been waiting for you, Arisu."

I blinked, surprised. "Huh? What do you mean?"

He chuckled, amused, stepping from his position next to his master to halt in front of me. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"What's that?" I asked, slightly confused and wary; typically, when boys asked me for a favor, it involved something... Never mind, I didn't want to think about that.

"I would like to ask requests of you," he said, looking down at me with mild interest. "The requests will vary—some are to fetch certain items, others are to fight particular Shadows, or to escort me around your world. In turn, when you complete a request, I shall give you a reward of some sort—money, weapons, or keys to fuse new Personas. It shall be beneficial to us both."

Oh. That sounded kind of fun! And it would make our job easier. I nodded.

"Sure! That's not a problem," I told him. "You can count on me!"

He flashed me a charming smile. "Splendid! Just speak to me whenever you wish to take a request."

* * *

"Okay, Kameko!" I exclaimed. "Let's go kick some Shadow ass!"

She grunted, which I assumed was her choice of response. Leading the way, I headed into the Park. It was organized just like before—in halls lined by densely gathered trees, like in a dungeon in a video game. It was quiet so far, without a Shadow in sight.

"I wonder if this is normal," said Kameko from where she was walking behind me.

"Who knows?" I said, shrugging slightly. "We just need to train so we can protect Mizuki when the time comes."

It would come, and we needed to be ready, especially since there were only two of us. I wasn't going to let anything bad happen to _anyone_, no matter _what_.

I heard Kameko sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I know." There was a pause. "Man, I hate going in here blind. Don't you, too?"

"...Yeah," I agreed quietly after a moment. "Naoto-san did mention SEES and the Investigation Team always had scanners to check out Shadows for them..."

"Hopefully we can find one soon," she mumbled.

I rounded a corner, and there was a Shadow, its back to us. I quickly took advantage of the situation, running up to the dark blob and slashing its with my naginata. The Shadow roared before transfiguring into three different monsters. According to what Naoto-san, Minako, and Akihiko had told us that night we had all trained together, all three of the Shadows were Cowardly Maya. We were outnumbered, but I knew their weaknesses.

I pulled out my Evoker and put it to my head, pulling the trigger. "Persona!" Glass shattered out of the other side of my head as my body was jerked from the impact, and I was surrounded by blue fog as Ishtar came to life above me.

Weak fire exploded at one of the Maya as Ishtar performed Agi. The Shadow cried out in pain, knocked down due to its weakness. I had Ishtar continue, hitting each Cowardly Maya with Agi. And once they all had been knocked down...

Kameko turned to me, a determined look in her eyes. "Come on!"

I nodded. "It's time for an All-Out Attack!"

"Full drive!"

We lunged forward, wielding our weapons, and eliminated the Shadows with ease. I felt a surge of power from Ishtar, as she leveled up once again. The grin on Kameko's face told me Enyo's level had increased as well. But this time, cards did not appear in my mind.

I beamed up at her. "C'mon! If we keep this up, we'll be so tough no one can beat us!"

Her grin did not fade as she nodded. "Right!"

I hoped this would last... We needed all the advantages we could get.

* * *

_Monday, May 2nd, 2022, Waxing Crescent Moon. _

"So, Golden Weeks starts tomorrow," Kameko said as I walked along with her and Mizuki. "Do you guys have any plans?"

"Well," said Mizuki, calm as ever. "Haruto and I will be visiting our mother in England."

...Wait, WHAT?

Kameko's eyes widened. "What?! You're flying all the way out to _England _just for Golden Week?! I-I forgot your family had that kind of money..."

Mizuki shrugged, like it was perfectly normal. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big _deal_?!" Kameko cried.

I let out a strained laugh. "Well, we all have different opinions..."

Kameko sighed. "I'll say..."

* * *

Nothing eventful happened in school; the Daughters of Nyx hadn't even made a move on Mizuki yet, to much of my relief. But I knew they were biding their time.

As class ended, I got a text from Raijin-senpai that said Kaname was all ready to go home. He agreed to meet up with me outside of Kankou to go pick up the dog. So before I headed out, I asked Mizuki to pick up some things for him, and she agreed. Then I headed off to meet up with Raijin.

I noticed some of the girls seemed to be gossiping more than usual; I wondered what they were talking about. They kept on looking at me. Hmmm...

Either way, I met up with Raijin outside of Kankou and headed off with him to the veterinary clinic. We made idle chat as we walked, but I had a feeling it would take a lot to form a Social Link with him, if that was even possible.

"Okay, here we are!" Raijin exclaimed, holding the door open for me. "The nurse said Kaname's dying to see you."

I laughed. "Well, I'm dying to see him too!"

He laughed too, smiling. "I'm relieved you can take him. I'd be worried sick if he had nowhere to go."

"Me too," I said as we walked up to the front counter.

"Hi, you're here for Kana-chan, right?" the woman asked.

Raijin nodded. "That's right!"

"Hang on a moment! I'll need to get the paperwork and get a nurse to go get him." She stood up. "Excuse me."She left, going through the door behind her.

Luckily, we did not have to wait very long. The first nurse returned with papers, and another nurse came out from the door to our far left, with Kaname on a leash. As soon as the dog saw us, he let out a loud bark, his tail wagging furiously. Raijin and I both laughed.

"See? Told ya he's excited to see you!"

Kaname pulled vigorously on the leash, nearly dragging the poor nurse all the way up to us. He yipped some more, still straining to get to me. I laughed, and stepped closer to him, crouching down to pet him on the head. And then he suddenly relaxed.

The nurse chuckled. "He's been raring to go the entire time he's been here. He must really like you."

I giggled. "It looks like it. Good thing you're coming with me, huh, Kana-chan!"

He barked in agreement, wagging his tail some more. I stood back up, and saw that Raijin was smiling. I had to admit, he had a cute smile; I was really seeing why so many girls liked him. Even for me, it was getting hard to resist...

"Well, let's get the paperwork done so you can take this boy home."

* * *

On the walk back home to the dorm with Kaname, my escort was oddly quiet. Kaname was walking properly, which was a relief, but I was more concerned with Raijin-senpai.

"Hey, are you okay, Senpai?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Huh?" He started a little. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine." He hesitated. "I was just... wondering... if it was okay if I... visit Kaname."

I blinked. "Of course you can! I'm sure Kana-chan would love it, too. Won't you, Kana-chan?"

The black dog barked in agreement.

"See?" I said with a smile.

Raijin seemed relieved. "Thanks! I'm gonna be busy for most of this month though... We have a big tournament coming up for kendo. I have to train, train, and then train some more."

"Oh! Well, I'm sure you can win!" I exclaimed, nodding firmly.

He grinned at me. "Thanks, Amano. I _am_ confident, but it doesn't hurt to have others backing you up."

Kaname barked, looking up at him; wow, he was really intelligent, wasn't he?

I laughed. "Looks like Kana-chan believes you can too!"

"Thanks, Kaname," Raijin chuckled.

"Arf!"

* * *

**This EARLY chapter is dedicated to my good friend Cleggy (cleggy2100)! Happy birthday!**

**Okay, so A LOT happened in this chapter! First off, you met Kaname, the resident pooch. Whether or not he will be getting a Persona and joining SOAD... you'll have to wait and see! You also got to see more of Raijin! **

**Now the plot is becoming more tangible: the Morrigan has placed down a challenge (or direct threat), and who's the first target? None other than Mizuki, and she's a Persona-user. What does this leave for Haruto? You'll have to wait and see, too!**

**No new Social Links yet, but more will be coming soon!**

**The next couple of chapters will be LONG, so bear with me! They're pretty much the finales of this first arc, and a LOT is going to happen.**

**Okay, that's all!**


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